Together
by lithromantic
Summary: Told from Edward's point of view, this story takes place during Edward's pursuit of Victoria after leaving Bella at the beginning of New Moon. When his hunt entangles him with a human girl, the two find themselves as allies with a mysterious connection, forced to wrestle with their belief in souls, love, the value of life, and inner demons as they fight to keep each other alive.
1. Chapter 1

The jutting rock formations flew past me like a gray blur as I bounded up the cliff side, closing in on Victoria's scent. She was in the crags somewhere, close enough that I could hear her thoughts, yet managing to stay out of view. Her mind was racing with fiery thoughts of frustration and anger as red as her hair – which my keen eyes were scanning for amongst the monochrome rocks. At last, a wisp of copper gleamed in the sunlight for a split second before disappearing behind a stone tower, but I was already launching myself in that direction. _Fight_, her mind was saying, and I knew that she had stopped running and would be waiting for me. Sure enough, I came around the tower just as she sprang at me and the timing caught me by surprise. The moment my back hit the ground, though, I was rolling backwards into a crouch, from which I let out a primal hiss.

In the midst of the sunlight glittering off the pale skin of her face, Victoria's eyes were bright red and her teeth gleamed sharply from the fearsome snarl she wore. I felt like it wouldn't take a mind-reader to see the death she was envisioning for me from behind those eyes. After our moment of staring each other down, the battle began again anew in split second movements. We sprang, scratched, snarled, snapped, kicked, and tore at each other. I got a good hold on her for a moment and slammed her against the craggy wall, sending shards of granite shattering in every direction, but then her feet came up and connected a solid blow to my ribs. I crashed backwards, bouncing off some boulders, and found myself airborne as I tumbled down a cliff. Normally, I would have grabbed hold of something and sprang back up; but in my weak and hungry state, the new sensation of pain in my torso was too overwhelming for me to make any sudden moves to save myself. One, possibly two, of my ribs were broken. At last I landed flat on my back on a stone shelf that jutted out of the cliff face, my skull making a loud crack upon impact. For a dizzying moment, all I could see of Victoria was a smear of red as she launched herself down the incline at me. At the last second, I swung my leg up and connected with her chin, clashing against the momentum of her charge. If she were any more fragile, the blow would have beheaded her, but instead it just lurched her head violently sideways and she slammed back into the wall. She moaned, and I could hear from her thoughts that she was hurt; but I doubted it was as bad as my injuries. I was sitting up now, but not without excruciating pain.

Her movements were slower this time as she lunged at me, swiping her nails across my leg, where they cut deep. At the same time, I was swinging my other leg up to kick her in the face again. She hit the wall and didn't recover fast enough, so I poised to jump; but my injured leg didn't follow through. Instead of latching onto the front of her and taking a bite out of her neck, I was a moment too late and ended up grabbing her arm and biting into her shoulder. She cried out and used her free arm to punch me first in the face and then in the ribs that were already screaming with pain. This loosened my hold long enough for her to fling me backwards over the ledge and I fell another good distance down onto more rocks. Unable to move for a moment after landing, I simply choked out a groan. Victoria was taking her time getting down to me again, as she was also hurt badly; but I could hear her thoughts and smell the venomous liquid oozing from her wounds, as well as my own. She was crawling down the cliff face above me, face twisted into a mix of agony and satisfaction; and I was trying to gather my strength against the pain, when a loud explosion rang out and a section of rock near Victoria's waist burst into splinters. I couldn't move, but she looked up in surprise and I smelled it at the same moment that I read her thoughts. A human was very close. A girl with a handgun, I could see from my enemy's thoughts; and apparently the girl looked like she meant business, because Victoria was definitely hesitating. She tensed and let out a low hiss to warn the newcomer of her imminent attack.

I wanted to shout a warning to the foolish human, but before I could even take a breath, another shot was fired, this one hitting the red-headed vampire square in the shoulders. She shrieked and fell from her perch, as the ground and my own body was splattered with her vein venom. It certainly wasn't a lethal blow, but it was enough to make Victoria slither away weakly through the field of boulders. I could tell from her thoughts that she was planning to recover from a distance. She didn't think the fight was worth it at the moment.

Once Victoria was out of sight, I could hear the human running towards me. I was surprised that neither of us had noticed her before, though she had a pretty average smell, mixed now with the scent of gunpowder. No longer in imminent danger, I decided not to move even my head if I didn't need to, so I didn't get a look at the girl until she was standing right over me. She was wearing warm hiking clothes and had long blonde hair and wide green eyes that glittered with the reflection of my skin. We looked each other in the face for a few seconds, and I listened to her thoughts. She was wondering what I was first and then if I was dying.

"Don't worry," I mumbled, "I'll heal up soon. You should get out of here, it's dangerous."

"Yeah, I know," she said sarcastically and looked up to where Victoria had disappeared, "But neither of us will be safer alone now, will we?"

I could hear the scenarios playing through her head of running into Victoria on her own, and I knew she had a point. She was thinking of ways she could fight, as if she were simply facing a bear or mountain lion.

"No, you're right, you wouldn't stand a chance alone," I said, "She's too fast and too strong. Even your gun will be useless without the element of surprise now."

"We should get away then," she suggested and began doing weight calculations in her head, "I'll carry you."

"You can't," I stated, "Just leave me and I'll heal."

"That's…ridiculous," she said, but was already making a list of other ridiculous things she had just witnessed, "Well, how long, then?"

"I don't know," I guessed, "An hour? You might actually have enough time to run away before she works up the nerve to come back."

"I told you, I'm not running off alone," she said sternly, shoving the revolver into a hip holster, "I'll protect you until you heal, then we'll both go."

I nodded, knowing that, in actuality, _I_ would be protecting _her_ if she stayed. Her green eyes looked me up and down, assessing my injuries and taking inventory of the first aid gear she had brought in her sweatshirt pocket. Apparently nothing she had with her would be adequate to treat the wounds she could see on me. I learned that she had a camp set up some distance away and originally upon hearing the commotion had rushed to help, thinking that there had been a rock slide or an animal attack. She was now wondering if any of the first aid she had left back at her camp might be more helpful.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

"Just sit down," I said, and she did so.


	2. Chapter 2

Her thoughts now shifted back to theories of what I was. It had been a long time since I'd heard someone's deliberations on the subject, and I smiled in spite of myself as I listened in. She started out with superhero mutant and rationalized her way down to delusional, drugged-up teenager with a skin disease. She looked over at my face to inspect for signs of dilation in my eyes, which were certain to be darkened with hunger by now.

_He's so beautiful_, she thought.

I was used to hearing that in so many people's minds, but it was more strange coming from someone who had just seen me fight and was now looking at me covered in strange fluid and wounds. In fact, her calm acceptance of the supernatural situation she had stumbled into made me wonder if Victoria and I weren't the first hidden beings that this girl had encountered. Usually my sunlit skin and eyes were enough by themselves to alarm an unsuspecting human. In the end, her conclusion about my identity caught me by surprise. She determined that I was an angel; and based on her reasoning, it sounded like she was a deeply spiritual person.

For a moment I was angry. How could such a spiritual person not sense when she was sitting next to a soulless monster? But I could hear that she was sure about it now, and it made me wonder if there was something to Carlisle's theory after all.

"What's your name?" she asked softly, now believing that she was speaking to a higher being.

"Edward," I answered, "What's yours?"

"Sophie," she said and offered a smile. Something about my name pleased her, I could tell, though she didn't specifically think about why.

While she tried to decide what to ask me next, I took a moment to really study her face. It was very old-fashioned and appealing. By current standards, she would pass for pretty; but through the lens of all the times and cultures I'd experienced, she was actually quite beautiful. I could easily picture her as the subject for a classical painting, and I fleetingly imagined that if Carlisle had a "type" in his youth, she would be it. She even looked a bit closer to his or Esme's apparent age than mine, though she felt much older; but perhaps that was because I'd spent so much time around high school kids lately. I liked her, and was confused to find that I felt comfortable both in her presence and in her mind. I half wondered if she was immortal also and came from the same time as me, which made her next question tricky.

"Where are you from?"

Should I go all the way back and say Chicago? Or more recently, Forks? Or tell her the current truth, that I was running? I found that she was anticipating "heaven" as well as the names of a few local cities.

"Chicago, originally," I decided.

"And what brought you here?"

"I travel a lot. I'm right here because this is where I tracked that woman to."

"What did she do?"

I paused, "How do you know _I'm_ not the one who did something? What made you take my side, anyway?"

Sophie was taking my question seriously and thought back to the fight she had just witnessed, revealing that she had been watching for a lot longer than I realized, "I could see it in your face and hers. She just felt evil, and you feel…good."

"Feel good?" I was anxious to ask because I rarely got the chance to have this kind of conversation with a rational human, and somehow I knew she'd be honest, "Or look good? Is there more to it than what you saw on our faces?"

"Of course," she answered quickly, squinting her eyes to look at my face, "She fought angry, you fought determined, like someone with a good reason. Plus, she would've attacked me in a second, but you've been quite nice so far. I think you must have a kind soul."

"Soul?" I repeated with a skeptical snort, "What makes you think I have one?"

She frowned at me, clearly disapproving of my tone and the question, itself. Suspicious that I was somehow testing her, though, she took a moment to stare into my eyes and I felt an odd tightness in my chest as she did so.

"I can feel it," she finally answered, "And I can see it in your eyes. Of course you have one."

She was thinking about how odd it was for an angel to question the existence of a soul and wondered if it was divine intervention sent to prove something to her.

_No_, she resolved somewhat sadly, _this is bigger than me. It's okay, I still have three shots_.

I wasn't sure what she meant, but I tuned out her thoughts for a moment to do my own reflecting. The way she had looked into my eyes and the conviction in her voice and mind when she spoke, it struck me in such a way that I couldn't help but believe her. And maybe, just maybe, I had to admit that I felt something in her too. I felt it in what could only be my soul. Was this why I had been drawn to Bella? Was it something deeper after all? Of course she looked and smelled delicious, and her ability to hide her thoughts confused and intrigued me. All of my senses were attracted to her, but perhaps there was something left of my human soul that had attached itself to her as well. And how else could I explain my sudden familiarity with this new girl, unless there was more to me than animal instinct? I was never naturally comfortable talking to strangers, and yet here I was being unusually personal with some random hiker. Even worse, I actually _cared_ what she thought and I wasn't terribly bothered by her knowing my secret. Had I met Sophie before, or maybe a relative? Or was it my...soul? Did it know hers from somewhere, from some other time even? My thoughts were getting carried away, so I tuned back in to hers instead, and found she was still debating her angel theory.

I could hear her trying to find the right wording in her mind before she even asked the question, but I waited until she had gotten it all out, "What exactly are you, Edward?"

"Not completely human," I answered, "But not blessed. Rather cursed. I'm not an angel."

For a moment she was startled and wondered if I could read her thoughts. I couldn't help a tiny smile at the offended look on her face as we made eye contact, through which I somehow answered affirmatively. She inhaled a small gasp and then I could hear her really try to guard her thoughts, which she was surprisingly good at. She put one out there very deliberately for me,_ What are you, if not an angel?_

"You might as well know," I watched her carefully for a reaction, "I'm a vampire. So is the woman I'm hunting."

There it was - an honest look of surprise and the sound of a heart rate jumping in fear. It was the most satisfying reaction to my revelation that I'd had in a long time. In most cases, the other person didn't believe me. Then there was Bella, who was so blinded by attraction that she claimed not to care at all. But this...this is what I always thought a rational person would do, and I trusted every instinct that passed over Sophie. Her reaction would show me what I truly was in the eyes of the rest of the world, and I was desperate to see how this turned out.

After shuffling through the few facts she thought she knew about vampires, she very quickly had a thought race through her mind about whether or not she really felt a soul in me.

"Sorry," she immediately blurted after suppressing her inner voice again, "You must be a very special kind of vampire, then. There's something good about you."

In her mind she expressed curiosity about my glittering skin. She wanted to touch it, and I nodded, though the pain of this slight action reminded me why I was still lying on the ground in the first place. Timidly, she crept her hand forward to touch my neck and her reaction was immediately to think how cold I felt, and then how hard and smooth, like polished granite. Her fingers slid up to my face, where she pushed back the bangs that lingered near my eyes. Her touch was warm, but not searing hot, like Bella's; so she must have had cool hands for a human.

As Sophie's fingers stroked my forehead, her eyes and thoughts temporarily focused on my mouth, specifically my teeth, and she withdrew her hand.

"Will you eat me?" she asked, still casting anxious glances at my mouth, "Is that how you heal?"

I laughed. Her innocence and vulnerable display of fear was incredibly refreshing. Bella always insisted she wasn't afraid and I had to take her at her word, though it seemed unnatural for her to be completely unmoved by the things she knew about me. There was something admirable in the way Sophie was openly nervous and yet stayed by side, even as she contemplated the possibility of her death at my hands.

_As long as it's fast and painless_, she thought.

My laugh only made her pull back further, though I quickly regained composure as the action stabbed pain through my broken ribs.

"It would help," I told her, "It really would, but I don't do that anymore."

"I didn't think so," she smiled, somewhat feebly, and through her thoughts reiterated the positive feeling she got from me.

"So, even knowing what I am now, you still think I'm good?" I acknowledged her silent message.

_Yes_, she thought back with a nod, then continued out loud, "So besides eating me, what else would help you heal? Is there anything I can do? I could give you some of my blood without you having to bite."

"That would be a bad idea," I chuckled nervously, but the thought was tempting, "Maybe some animal blood."

She nodded and looked up. In her mind she was picturing the way back to her camp, calculating the distance and time it would take to get there. She had better equipment in her tent for hunting or trapping, but she wasn't sure if she should go alone and leave me or if I was well enough to walk. I knew it was safer for both of us if we were together, so I struggled to sit up. The pain in my ribs screamed but I knew they would heal soon. Blood would help immensely, and even the brief thought of it had rekindled my hunger. I wished Sophie hadn't mentioned her own blood, though. She was not as intoxicating as Bella, but she smelled appetizing anyway, and especially in my starving state.

She looked surprised to see me getting up and reached out to help me.

"We'll go back to your camp," I said, "It's a good idea."


	3. Chapter 3

I allowed her to hold my arm as I stood up, even though there was no way she could actually help lift me. Once I was on my feet, I inspected the state of my body. Internally, a few things still hurt pretty badly; but most of the open wounds on my skin were nearly healed closed and the venom dissolved. Sophie's thoughts began to race quickly now, and I listened in fascination. This was it, she was finally truly frightened. She was realizing that she had felt better before when she thought I was more injured and less threatening. Now, she wondered if it had all been a trap and regretted not running away when she had the chance.

I continued to look down at myself while my mouth winced into a pained smile at her thoughts. So, it was true, I was terrifying. Bella was definitely lying the whole time when she told me otherwise. Sophie was thinking about running away now, but I knew it would be dangerous for her with a hungry Victoria still in the area. In fact, even _I_ was starting to get a nervous feeling about us still being where we were, though I'm sure my companion's worried thoughts weren't helping any. She was studying my physique carefully, making assessments about my strength and oddly fixated on the fact that I was taller than her. I finally looked up at her face, morbidly curious to see the fear on it that I knew I deserved, and I wasn't disappointed. She looked pale and terrified. She had backed up a few steps and had her hand resting on her gun, but when our eyes met, she froze and so did her thoughts. For some reason, seeing the anxiety in her eyes caused my own stomach to knot up in apprehension. We were both in a bad situation, I knew.

As soon as I opened my mouth to speak, her mind sparked to life again, probably from the sight of my teeth, and I paused to listen. We stared at each other for several more seconds while the debate raged in her brain. She knew I was listening and watched for my reactions or any indication that I was about to attack. I felt bad, and would have tried to appear more relaxed for her; but the pain and fear was making me tense.

At last, Sophie told herself that it didn't matter what she did – I could kill her if she stayed or if she ran; she really didn't stand a chance. She was right. She also realized that the other vampire was still out there, so it was just a matter of which of us got to her first. Then something occurred to me, and I took a deep breath, causing Sophie to tense and take another step back. As I feared, though, there was no other human scent besides hers for miles. If Victoria was hungry enough, and I knew she was, this girl was the most convenient snack around. With her desperate need to heal, Victoria might even be bold enough to fight her way through me for Sophie's blood. I frowned, and saw the girl's face settle calmly at the same time. She had decided that her life was already forfeit and was resigning herself to it as peacefully as she could. It depressed me to see her give up so easily.

Finally, I spoke, "Look, Sophie, I'll do my best to protect you, but that other vampire is really going to want you. You're the only potential meal within miles of here."

She realized then the purpose of the large breath I had taken, and I was pleased that she was catching on quickly. As she looked into my eyes intently, she made her final decision about me. To her logical mind, she told herself, I was only intimidating because I was tall, strong, and potentially dangerous; but to her instinct, there was something that made her feel she could trust me. She went with her instinct.

"So, I'll probably die," she said matter-of-factly.

"I'll try not to let that happen," I looked around, "The other one – her name is Victoria – isn't close right now. I can't hear her, but she's not far enough that I can't smell her. We have time to find me something to eat."

"Okay," Sophie nodded, "But if you really think she's going to get me, if you can't protect me anymore, then you should eat me first. I'd rather let you have my blood than her, if it will help you win the fight."

It was a good thing she couldn't read my thoughts in return, because I was really considering her offer. If it got to the point where she was going to die anyway, then I knew it would be bad news for me to let Victoria have her. I could almost certainly beat Victoria after a drink of human blood, and then I would know that Bella was finally safe. Would I sacrifice this girl's life for Bella's safety? Would I break my vow for it? It grew torturously tempting the longer I considered it, until Sophie's thoughts interrupted my own, wanting to know why my eyes were getting darker, concerned that I might be in too much pain. She was worried about me. I immediately felt guilty for giving serious thought to her death.

"Let's just find an animal," I managed to say.

"Right," she finally looked away from me and started moving, but cast a final thought out loudly. She wanted me to know that she liked me and trusted me with her life or death, whichever it came to.

"Thanks," I responded.

I wondered if Bella had followed the same thought process to get over her fear and feel comfortable around me. I simply refused to believe that she wasn't afraid at all. Listening to Sophie's internal debate had been, in a way, therapeutic. It was comforting to know that something about me was good enough to help a person overcome their completely justified fears. I wanted to hear more, to know what else she thought about me; because, for some reason, this stranger's opinion really mattered. It had been a long time since I had been able to listen to the thoughts of a human that knew what I was.

"So what did she do?" Sophie asked again, picturing Victoria.

"Like I said," I replied, "Maybe I was the one who did something."

She looked over her shoulder at me with a sarcastic expression, "Then why would _you_ be chasing _her_?"

"Because Victoria threatened someone I care about," I revealed, "I killed her mate, so she wants revenge."

"Why would you-?" Sophie started, but then snapped her mouth shut and reminded herself that it was none of her business.

"It's okay," I said in response to her unspoken apology, "He tried to eat the girl I love, and the only way to protect her was to kill him."

"You love a human girl?" she realized in surprise, "Is that unusual?"

I grimaced, "Very unusual and very difficult."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, and I felt a wave of self-pity wash over me even as I tried not to think about the recent turn of events between me and Bella.

Why was I getting so emotional all of a sudden? Was it because I was opening up to someone other than my family? I had thought I could steel myself pretty well against feeling emotions anymore, but now it was like I was on a roller coaster. Maybe I was just hungry. Not maybe. I was quite starving, actually. Part of me was uneasy about Sophie seeing me eat, especially since I knew I was hungry enough to go into a frenzy; but the rest of me felt I could trust her. Somehow she would understand, just as she was working to understand and accept everything else she was learning.

As we walked and kept our eyes on the rocks around us, Sophie fell easily into the half-spoken conversational habits that I only shared with my family, as though she was used to talking to me. She would think most of her questions and I would answer them out loud, hearing her hums of reaction.

_Can all vampires read minds?_

"No," I said, "Very few of us have special abilities. This is my gift or curse, however you see it."

"Lucky you," she joked and I saw her smile, easing the tension in the air, _Does Victoria have any special abilities?_

"Not that I know of," I shrugged, "Just your average vampire speed and strength, but she's a bit more agile than me and maybe smarter as well. She's an experienced hunter and must be a good deal older than I am."

This time, I didn't even hear a clear question; I just felt her curiosity rise.

"1901," I said with a smile, "That's when I was born."

"Were you…" she trailed off and continued in thought, _born a vampire?_

"No," I shook my head, "I was turned when I was 17."

At last she looked back at me and studied my face thoughtfully, _I suppose I can see that – though you really feel much older._

A million questions surged through my mind and I wished she could read it in return rather than wait for me to pick one to ask out loud. The mysteries of our connection nagged at me all the stronger when she mentioned feelings that she got from me.

"How old are you?" I asked at last.

"26," she sighed, and although no clear thoughts accompanied her answer, I was struck with a sense of discomfort.

Why would I be uncomfortable about her age? It was not nearly so young as Bella, but it was still a lot younger than I believed Sophie's soul to be. Again I was surprised that I could so easily feel her soul. What new sense was I feeling it with? If it weren't for the stabbing pains in my ribs, I might have been able to meditate a little harder on the subconscious sensations I was experiencing.

"My camp," she said out loud and I saw it up ahead by the trail.


	4. Chapter 4

I took another deep breath. Sophie's smell was strong, but not overwhelming; and beyond that I could pinpoint a few animals as well as Victoria's distant fragrance. She was closer than before, but still appeared to be taking her time to heal a bit before making her move. Hearing my inhale, Sophie turned and looked at me with wide eyes. I could hear her heart pounding as she asked what was going on through little more than the look in her eyes.

"We still have a little time," my walking pace quickened, "There are a few deer not too far. Can you get one?"

"Yes, of course," she said and began making preparations in her mind.

Although it would have been excruciating, I could have chased down the deer myself and wrestled it into a hold long enough for me to dispose of its spinal cord with my teeth. My movements would have been slower and less accurate, though, and the scene inevitably sloppy. Plus, there was always the risk that in my frenzy I would attack my new friend instead. Better to take it easy and let Sophie bring down my meal humanely, and I could eat it without needing to engage any of my murderous instincts. Besides, I was curious to see this human girl hunt. And hopefully the sound of the gun again would cause Victoria even more hesitation before attacking us.

We reached Sophie's tent, where we both sat down inside on her sleeping bag. I immediately stretched out along the bed, groaning as this new position tugged on my healing injuries. Sophie put her hand on my arm briefly and threw out a few encouraging thoughts. Turning my head, I watched as she ejected the cylinder of her revolver and spun it, counting the remaining loaded chambers; then she pulled a hunting knife and some rope out of her duffel bag. The paradox of soft beauty and rough danger that she embodied made me smile. It reminded me of my sisters.

When all her gear was loaded onto her person, she looked at me with forced confidence, "So is it safe for me to go now?"

I closed my eyes for a moment to focus and see if I could get a clear idea of Victoria's intents. She seemed to be too consumed with her own pain to make any quick attacks, and there was no clear plan in her head at all. Instead, her thoughts were disjointed and rambling – a result of the hunger and frustration. Unfortunately for me, that made her more unpredictable; but at least she was still hurting and moving slowly.

"Just hurry," I opened my eyes and nodded to Sophie, "I'll keep an eye on Victoria's thoughts, and if she catches your trail, I'll be at your side in a moment." Then my words gave me an idea, and I carefully started to pull off my shredded shirt.

Through Sophie's eyes, I saw my own grimace of pain that accompanied my action and heard her wonder, _Should I help?_

"I got it," I assured her through my gritted teeth and finally pulled the shirt free of my head and off my arms, feeling slightly embarrassed about disrobing in front of a girl.

I decided to see what her reaction was to this as well, and was surprised to find her shocked rather that flustered with lust, as I had assumed any other human woman would have been. Her eyes and thoughts were focused on my injuries, specifically my ribs, where the breaks were graphically visible under my pale skin.

_That looks bad_, she frowned sympathetically, _you should try not to move anymore._ Then a flash of terror crossed her eyes, "Will you even be able to move fast enough to get to me?"

"Just put this on," I handed her my shirt, "To Victoria, it will smell like I'm still with you. And she won't be able to locate me here, surrounded by your scent; so she'll really believe that I'm right next to you."

_That will make her hesitate_, Sophie realized and a relieved smile strained to the surface of her face, "Thanks, Edward. Just hang in there a little longer." She stood and pulled my shirt on over her sweatshirt, then paused in the doorway of her tent, "Which way are the deer?"

I took a long sniff to try and get past the human smells around me and locate the herd again, "Down near the water, about 300 yards south of here – maybe 5 or 6 of them."

"Okay," she said sternly, but her voice shook a little, "I'll be right back."

As I listened to her footsteps jog away, my insides clenched with a mix of nervousness and determination. I knew I shouldn't be worried for her, as long as I was able to monitor our enemy and move if necessary. The more I thought about it, though, the more impressed I was with this girl. After everything she'd learned, she was still willing to involve herself in a fight where she was outmatched, rather than give up. And now, based on nothing more than a feeling, she was risking her life to assist a virtual stranger. When it had been popular, I was a big fan of John Wayne, and one of his quotes rose to my memory right now: "Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway."

Yes, there was something very special about this human girl, and I was determined to protect her until I figured out what our bond was made of. Selfishly, I knew that unraveling this mystery would teach me things about myself that I had been yearning to know all my life. As far as I could tell, neither of us were intoxicated with the other, the way Bella and I found ourselves. No, there was a different connection here that was beyond physical senses, something more effortless and less carnal. I knew she was attractive, though somehow it didn't make me feel anything. Sophie, also, had acknowledged my looks, but it didn't seem to factor into her opinion of me; so there had to be something deeper to it. I wondered if she might feel the same unusual connection that I did? Of course, I could just listen to her thoughts and find out, which I should have been doing anyway to make sure she was safe.

Devoting half of my mind to Sophie's thoughts and the other half to Victoria's, I began my surveillance, lying there on the human's sleeping bag. Her mind was a comfortable place to be, and surrounded by her smell at the same time just made me feel at home. Her aroma was sweet and comforting, but so mild that it was hardly tempting at all, just nice to be around. Her thoughts were very focused at the moment on being stealthy and aware of her surroundings at the same time. Looking through her eyes, I could see the small herd of deer beneath a grove of trees some distance away. She crouched low and began crawling closer, tucking back the hair that fell into her vision every once in a while.

_I'm taking so long!_ She scolded herself, _But hunting is supposed to be about patience and planning. Not for starving vampires, I suppose. Sorry, Edward, I know you're probably listening._

I chuckled out loud.

_No sign of Victoria yet_, she continued as she crawled silently, _Not that I would be able to tell anyway. I can't smell vampires. Do they even have a smell?_ She pressed her nose into her arm and inhaled deeply against the sleeve of my shirt. _Just smells like a boy_, she concluded, _I suppose Ed wears cologne for his girlfriend. Good man._

I couldn't help the smile plastered to my cold lips as I listened to Sophie's rambling thoughts. I couldn't tell if she was letting them wander because she was nervous or if she was intentionally trying to cheer me up since she knew I was listening. Either way, I was more than amused to hear her casually use "Ed" like we were old friends, which it somehow felt like we were.

"Focus," I grunted to myself out loud and shifted my attention to Victoria.

She had stopped moving and was feeling around her body again to see if her wounds were healing. A slew of curses coursed through her mind as her hand moved across the gunshot wound on her back. Apparently it was still blown open down to the bone and healing was going slowly. The cursing was directed mainly towards the blonde girl and only partly towards me. Victoria indulged herself in a hungry fantasy of biting deep into the human's neck and collecting mouthfuls of the gushing warm blood. I had to block Victoria's thoughts away for a moment as the visions brought venom seeping into my own mouth. No, I would not allow myself to even briefly imagine the act through another's mind. Sophie trusted me too much for me to entertain temptation. By the time I allowed myself back into Victoria's mind, the vision had inspired her to move closer to her prey, but now she was stopping again. With another string of curses, she recognized my scent mingled with the human's. She could tell Sophie was moving and figured that if I was moving as well, then I must be in a stronger state than she was. This would definitely make her sit a little longer, so I switched my attention back to Sophie's mind.

She was behind a fallen log now, sliding her hands up to steady the gun against the wood. In her mind, she just kept repeating the mantra, _Slowly, quietly_, until she was in position and looking down the short length of the revolver. From this point of view, it occurred to me for the first time how odd it was that an outdoorsy person hadn't brought a more practical gun for hunting.

_Okay,_ she thought as she centered one of the bucks in the lined up sights, _Which one do you want, Ed? This one?_ Then she shifted her aim to the other buck, _Or this one?_

Was she trying to be funny again, or did she really think I could answer her somehow? If I could have told her, I would have picked the first buck, since it was slightly younger, which always tasted better for some reason.

_This one_, she concluded and moved her sights back to the first buck, trying to get a perfect line on its heart.

I wondered if she had somehow felt my answer or if we had just reached the same conclusion on our own. The buck took a step forward to reach for some grass and Sophie adjusted her aim. As I waited, I found myself beginning to leak venom again in anticipation. How ridiculous, to be so hungry that a deer looked good. I never craved deer, even when hunting them, so why was looking at this one making me hungrier than ever? My nose smelled something better than deer, I realized, it smelled mountain lion. Near the tent? No, further. I looked closer at the view through Sophie's eyes and noticed something that her weak human vision hadn't caught yet. Above her, just at the edge of her sight, was a tan shape crouched unmoving on a tree branch.

A surge of panic shot through me and I tensed to sit up, but was lost in the sudden motion of Sophie's world. She was spinning quickly, raising the gun towards the blur of teeth and claws that was descending towards her. In her mind there were no words, only a sense of surprise. Then I heard through three sets of ears the shot go off. The shock of the multiplied sound snapped me out of my observations and I found that I was standing at the door of the tent, my bare chest casting tiny rainbows onto the rocks around. My injuries protested painfully at the sudden jolt of motion, but the ache in my jaw distracted me more. The venom was pulsing through my grinding teeth, and now I realized why. Besides the smell of my favorite prey, I could also smell human blood – Sophie's. Despite my raging starvation, I forced myself to remain frozen in place. Was she dead? The monster inside me hoped so, because then I could feast without guilt. I would have to get to her before Victoria, though…

_Damn it__!_ The familiar voice interrupted my thoughts, and I felt relief overcome all my other feelings, _I'm bleeding! This isn't good. __Ok, i__njuries - how bad? Just cuts…everything still moves. Ugh! Get __off of__ me, stupid heavy cat! __Damn it__! Covered in blood…vampires all over the place, and I'm covered in __all__ kinds of blood. __Damn it__! __Damn it__._


	5. Chapter 5

I closed my eyes and watched her pull out her knife and immediately thought Victoria might have appeared, but a moment later I saw she was just giving the mountain lion carcass a stab in the neck for good measure. The quick look through her eyes also revealed a lot of blood. Before I knew it, I was a hundred feet down the trail and forcing myself to freeze again. If I arrived on such a scene, it would be very hard to control the frenzy; and even if I went for the animal first, there was no way Sophie could get far enough away in time.

I closed my eyes to concentrate on fighting the hunger, but instead saw a vision of Sophie through the trees from a distance and heard a low hiss. It was Victoria's sight. The blood had drawn her out too, and now she could see that I was nowhere near the girl.

If I went to her now, would I be able to resist? I didn't have a choice anymore, Victoria was charging. I ran as fast as I could, and made it to Sophie at exactly the same time as Victoria. We collided, knocking us both spinning in different directions and howling with the pain of new injuries. My mind was too full to take inventory, though. I was reading Victoria's intentions, and found that she planned to ignore me completely and try for the human with all her strength. At the same time, my connection with Sophie was picking up on her strategy without really having to hear her thoughts. Her mix of gratitude, determination, and sacrifice bled into my own feelings. Before I could even try to read her mind, my hand reached up and caught the damp wad of fabric she had thrown me; and I crammed it into my mouth, biting down to squeeze out the contents. The cocktail of mountain lion and human blood sent a jolt through my system and I would have lost myself in the frenzy but for the involuntary connection to Sophie's emotions, which somehow kept me grounded.

I could feel my strength returning as I gnawed the fabric and my mind worked twice as fast, taking in my own vision and Victoria's equally. She charged forward again, desperate enough in her own frenzy to attack sloppily from head on. I could see from her eyes that Sophie had the handgun leveled on her and was already pulling the trigger, though we both knew it wouldn't be enough to completely stop her. A moment after the bullet tore through Victoria's shoulder, I rammed into her and she tumbled sideways, splintering a couple tree trunks in the process. But she regained her feet as she rolled and sprang back toward the girl. The vampire's vision was red with blood lust, but through it, I could see that Sophie was holstering her gun and drawing her knife instead. There was no way she could keep up with us now, though – Victoria was in the height of a frenzy, albeit slowed somewhat by her injuries, and I was now surging with the energy from the blood that still drained from the soaked fabric I held in my mouth. Victoria flew through the air in a powerful leap, but I blocked her path once again and latched on this time. We hit the ground rolling and clawing at each other; but I had the blood, so I had the edge, even after the fabric got yanked from my mouth. I lost all sense of my pain, hunger, mission, or loyalties. All I knew was that I wanted to fight and I wanted to win.

We wrestled violently, twisting around each other, biting and scratching, growling and yelping. Sophie must have thought we had turned to animals, but I forgot all about her; I couldn't even hear her thoughts anymore, I was so focused on destroying Victoria. Finally, as I found steady footing in a crouch, I realized that I was holding the other vampire at arm's length and she was off balance for the moment. I twisted my body and my arms followed, pulling her along and slamming her head-first through a tree trunk. She reached up and yanked on my elbows, pulling me in closer and we both bit each other on the neck, but my bite was deeper and she released hers to yowl in pain. All her limbs struggled against me now, and she twisted from my grasp, except that one of my hands managed to lock around her wrist. In a move reminiscent of fights with Emmet, I spun the enemy vampire in a circle and released. As her body flew into the air, I saw her head tilting at an odd angle and knew I had almost taken it off with that last bite. She flew so far back into the trees that she disappeared from my sight, her weakened thoughts dropping from my consciousness, and I sensed victory. The meal was mine at last. That's what we had been fighting over, right? I was drowned in such pain and hunger that I didn't really care to stop and think, all I knew was that there was food nearby and I needed it and had won it fair and square.

"Ed, here!" a girl's voice called and I saw someone dragging a mountain lion body towards me.

My brain and my heart recognized the someone as Sophie, and I remembered distantly that I didn't want to hurt her. My body, however was already pouncing and I only barely managed to turn at the last second and knock the human out of the way as I landed on the cat instead. I buried my face in its hide to distract myself for a moment with a less-than-satisfying gulp of lukewarm blood.

"Run," I forced myself to growl, "I can't…"

But I couldn't make any more words come out before needing another face full of blood. In the very farthest part of my awareness, I picked up on Sophie's mind and saw through her eyes as she got to her feet and ran through the trees away from me.

_He wouldn't do it. __Ed, please__ don't do it_, was the gist of her thoughts as she ran, but it seemed inconsequential to me.

I tried very hard to concentrate on the mountain lion, but it was entirely unsatisfying and all my predatory senses were trained on the escaping prey. The next drink I took had some of Sophie's blood mixed in somehow, and I lost what little hold I had been keeping on myself. Faster than anyone could be prepared for, I sprang from the carcass and dashed after the girl. I was upon her in the blink of an eye and knocked her to the ground on her back, landing on top of her and pinning her arms and legs down with my own.

_Edward!_ Her voice screamed, whether in my ears or in my head, I wasn't sure, but I forced myself to pause for a split second longer than I wanted to.

She was looking up at me with pleading eyes, through which I could see that my own were bright red, matching perfectly with the glistening crimson that painted my entire face from having buried it in the animal flesh a few seconds ago. The sight filled me with fear, either mine or hers, but it was enough to make me pause another second. For the first time, I noticed that she was stripped down to a tank top; it must have been her layers of shirts that she had thrown me earlier, soaked up with blood. Blood from…my eyes scanned her bare shoulders and arms, taking note of every wound that still had the fresh hot liquid oozing from it. I growled as the two urges battled within me, forcing me to clench my teeth shut, even as I lowered my face toward one of the deep wounds on her shoulder.

_I know you're fighting_, her voice passed through my head, _I still trust you._

It must have been her faith in me that suddenly brought up Carlisle's face in my mind, and I felt shame pile onto the other emotions weighing me down. Down until my mouth and nose were pressed against the warm, blood-smeared skin of Sophie's collarbone. I had missed the open wound. One of us felt proud of me, but I'm sure it was only me that suddenly felt angry - angry at her for being so stupid as to trust me. I was still close, so close I could taste it. I teetered on the edge of frenzy again, my body screaming its need for her blood to heal the many new wounds I had received while protecting this girl. She owed me – at least a little. My mouth was already moving before I had even finished justifying the action, my lips anchoring themselves around the gash on her shoulder while my teeth stayed safely back and my tongue drew out mouthfuls of delicious blood. I inhaled through my nose to enhance the taste as I drank, overwhelming my senses. The only control I had was a single mantra looping through my brain: _don't bite, don't bite, don't bite_. They may have been Sophie's words in the beginning, but I found myself repeating them just as fervently while I indulged greedily in my meal. How I missed this taste! It was so much more satisfying than mountain lion.

My eyes were closed and I was so concentrated on repeating "don't bite," that I wasn't aware of what I was really doing until I began to feel some other strange emotions creeping into my consciousness along with noises. Sophie was gasping. Why? I hadn't bitten, had I? No, my teeth were closed and my venom subsided. I was nearing a satisfied state of fullness, after the quick gorging on the mountain lion and this fountain of human blood. What fountain?

Awareness hit me like it did humans upon waking from a nightmare, and I realized the state my frenzy had brought me to, though I wasn't sure how long I had been like this: mouth wrapped tightly over a line of deep cuts on her forearm, which I had pinned across her chest and was leaning on so heavily that she was struggling to breathe. I pulled back in shock, now fully comprehending what I had done as I looked down at her and saw the red smears from my face all over her shirt and arms. Her eyes had been clenched shut, but now as she finally gasped in a full breath, they opened wide, their bright green color standing out vividly against the pale white of her face. How long had I sucked at those open wounds? How much blood had she lost?

Our eyes locked, and she searched mine for a good moment before allowing her thoughts to become clear enough for me to hear, _Do you feel better now?_

I was mortified, wanting desperately to disappear, but there was no way I could leave her here like this. Not now.

"Are you okay?" I rasped, a frightening effect the blood had on my throat.

Humiliation overcame her and she averted her eyes, hunching her shoulders forward as she tried to pull her arms free to cover herself, causing me to realize that I was still gripping her wrists tightly in my fists. In an instant, I had rolled off of her, scooped her up, and was on my feet with her limp body cradled in my arms like an infant. She groaned while her eyes rolled from the sudden change in elevation, and I had to get out of her mind before it made me dizzy as well. Her skin felt cold, even to me, and would have matched mine in color, were it not for the orange reflections mine cast from the sunset. How had the whole day gone by?


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm tired_, she thought slowly.

"I'm sorry," I said through clenched teeth, "This is my fault."

She didn't open her eyes, but she tried to smile, _It's okay. You didn't hurt me. __D__o you at least feel better?_

"Yes," I answered simply and held her firmly against my chest, so she wouldn't feel the motion, "Brace yourself for a second…"

With speed I was only capable of after a good meal, I dashed from our current location up to her tent in little more than a second or two. She groaned again and tried to open her eyes, but by the time I had laid her down on the sleeping bag, she was completely unconscious. I wanted to panic, but there was a calm feeling from her now that kept me focused as I dug out her first aid kit and assessed her condition. Loss of blood was her biggest problem, and all her wounds had dried up except the last set of scrapes I had attached myself to. Bright red drops still oozed out and made trails down her arm, but it held absolutely no temptation for me anymore. I was so disgusted with myself. Not even the smell could distract me as I worked to stop the bleeding, sanitize, and wrap up the area. It took all of her antibiotic wipes for me to clean off the rest of her skin before bandaging the other wounds I could find.

Spying a nondescript t-shirt spilling out of her backpack, I decided Sophie would probably be fine with me borrowing it rather than have me hanging around shirtless for the rest of our time together. As I tugged the garment down over my chest, I found that my ribs were all in their proper place again and there was no hint left of the bites or scratches I had suffered from that final battle. The human blood really had healed me up completely. My body felt better than it had in ages, but my spirit was as low as the moment I had said goodbye to Bella. I wanted to hurt myself, if such a thing were possible, and I might have found a way to do so if not for the peaceful mood Sophie was dragging me into with her. I kept checking on her mind to make sure she wasn't slipping into a coma, but she seemed to be stuck in a deep sleep with colors and depths instead of regular dream images. Once her body produced enough blood again, her brain would become more active; she might even wake up. I needed to truly apologize when I could look into her eyes and feel her mind. Until then, I was determined to take care of her.

I ran my hands along her sides and legs, and was relieved to find no broken bones or signs of any other injuries besides the surface cuts and scrapes on her upper body, which were all treated now. Really, it was a miracle she had even made it this far alive, but I still couldn't help dwelling on how I had betrayed us both in the end. With my jaw clenched in frustration, I noticed that bruises had blossomed on her wrists in distinct finger patterns from where I had held her down. I looked back to her face instead and reached out to brush away the hair that had fallen into it, bitterly aware of how much our roles had reversed over the course of this day.

Mesmerized by the feel of her skin, my fingers drifted over her face and neck. It amazed me anew how delicate humans were, held together by such a thin, fragile layer of protection. I could feel her heartbeat as her pulse throbbed slowly beneath my fingertips, trying desperately to move her depleted blood supply around to the organs that needed it most. Even this had no effect on me. The fear of further guilt was stronger than any craving for blood at the moment. Being so close to her and feeling the assurance of our connection, even as she slept, was enough to make me realize that I would never hurt her again. For some inexplicable reason, she had the ability to ground me, and I needed that now in my life more than ever. If our bond was older - and it felt like it was - then it seemed we had been drawn back together at the right time, and I wasn't about to destroy that before I fully understood it.

Lost in thought, I was absentmindedly stroking her arm with the back of my fingers, enjoying this rare chance to feel soft human flesh again without the unique struggles of being close to someone as intoxicating as Bella, when I noticed Sophie stir briefly and take a deep breath. There was no sign of consciousness from her mind, though; and the next moment, I felt her skin changing under my touch. I pulled my hand back and observed the goose bumps that now covered all her exposed skin. For the first time in at least an hour, I tore my eyes away from the girl to look outside. It was already dark now, which meant it was probably very cold, and here I had her lying uncovered little more than jeans and a tank top. Stupid me. I left her side to close up the tent door and then maneuvered her into the sleeping bag, zipping it all the way up to her chin. As I lifted her head to position the pillow under it, my fingers detected a warm lump on the back of her skull. Grimacing, I recalled the force with which I had knocked her down a couple times during our encounter.

There was little I could do for a concussion, given our limited resources, though an ice pack would help to bring the swelling down on that lump. We didn't have an ice pack, but I had been told that my hands were "like ice" on more than one occasion, so I improvised. Lying down next to the sleeping bag, I stretched out my arm and slid my hand between the pillow and the back of Sophie's head, cradling it so that the injury rested square in my palm.

I closed my eyes and let her imageless dream play on my eyelids like a screensaver. Her mood was so relaxed that, as I took it in, I almost felt like I was sleeping too. It was a state I had craved so much for decades, but hadn't been this close to since I was human. How was she doing this? Why did everything feel so natural with her? I'd never given much thought to past lives, but maybe we had known each other in one. If I asked her, would she remember? I still had my suspicions that she wasn't entirely human, and her emotion-projecting abilities were certainly unusual for a regular young woman. Perhaps she was related to Jasper somehow. I needed her to wake up, so that I could get these questions off my mind. I missed the sound of her voice in my head.

Sophie's aurora visions danced through my mind in place of a dream, as I relaxed completely and lost all sense of time and location. I'm not sure if I slipped into a trance or actually fell asleep - neither of which had been possible since becoming a vampire, though not for lack of trying - but I awoke from some kind of state and found that the sun was shining brightly outside the tent. It was nearly midday at least. For a moment I smiled with surprise and pleasure at my unexpected nap, then I heard the breathing next to me and remembered my human companion.

Sophie had rolled over onto her stomach at some point and was now facing away from me, still asleep based on the slow rhythm of her breaths. They were deep, which meant she was regaining her strength. A quick check in her mind revealed that she was now having a real dream, a swimming dream in fact, but I didn't linger for long. I moved around to the other side of her to get a look at her face, which was squished into her pillow in such a way that it almost made me laugh out loud. There was a little flush on her cheeks, but to my disappointment she still looked a bit pale. Lacing my fingers through her hair, I probed for the bump and was relieved to find it reduced in size from the night before. This time, she flinched and sucked in a deep breath then her eyelids fluttered open.

It took a moment for her to focus on me and her mind cycled through the flurry of rhetorical questions that all humans ask themselves to reboot after sleep. I waited with a bit of apprehension and stared into her green eyes, noticing for the first time the flecks of gold in them. Did hers change color too?

Finally her thoughts sorted themselves out and she whispered in a very weak voice, "Edward, why are you still here?"

"I had to make sure you were okay," I leaned forward in earnest, "And I wanted to tell you how sorry I am."


	7. Chapter 7

Her hand came up out of the sleeping bag and splayed against my chest, in what I thought was a defensive move to push me back, but then her eyes moved over my torso and limbs. She was assessing my condition and still a bit too groggy to tune down her thoughts.

_No more injuries, but he's still cold. He must be back at full strength now. At least I was able to help somehow._

"Hey," I frowned, "I'm trying to apologize here. I'm absolutely humiliated by what you witnessed yesterday and you should be disgusted with me. How can you still be more worried about me than yourself?"

She took a moment to notice the bandages on her arm as she withdrew it back into the sleeping bag and a slight flush rose in her cheeks as she slurred tiredly, "I don't matter. What you're doing is so much more important than what I came up here for. You have to win."

Something emotional charged the air and I marveled again at her strange ability to make me feel things, but my urge to analyze it didn't make it any less effective. I cupped her cheek in my hand to get her to focus, "I wouldn't still be here if you didn't matter. Now how are you feeling?"

_Not too much pain,_ she shifted in the sleeping bag to test her limbs,_ But I don't feel that good._ Then, before she had even warned me by thinking about it, she turned her head and bit down lightly on my wrist, _I want my blood back_.

I laughed and pulled my arm away, "Don't hurt your teeth."

She smiled, "So we're all right, then?"

"Yeah," I nodded with a relieved grin, "We're all right."

_Victoria?_ She raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmm," I looked away for a moment to probe for nearby minds and found none, "I'm not sure. I don't think I killed her, so she must have run away. I'll pick up her trail again, though."

"You had the advantage; you could have taken her out for good," Sophie pointed out, _Why didn't you go after her immediately?_

I grimaced, "I was hurting pretty badly and really hungry. The blood from the shirt helped give me the edge during the fight - so thanks for that quick thinking - but I needed more to actually heal. I just lost focus on finishing Victoria off and got caught up in the blood frenzy instead. Then after I saw what happened - what _I_ did to you…"

"Hey," she interrupted, "We're both all right."

"But I was a monster," I argued, "After you were just trying to help."

"And I'm glad I could help," she said sternly, "You did what you needed to heal, which is exactly what I thought you should do. That's why I gave you permission. And thank you for not hurting me."

"Not hurting you?" I repeated, "I could have crushed you or bled you dry, and I _did_ drain you into unconsciousness."

She glared at me as she responded silently, _Don't be so hard on yourself. I know you __were holding back, and it could have been much worse for me. Then __you stayed __to__ make sure I was all right. What more could a lucky human __want__ from a vampire?_

"About that," I changed the subject with a slight glare of my own, "Are you sure you're human, Sophie? There are a lot of beings in this world that keep their existence a secret. I thought I knew most of them, but I can't figure where to place you."

Her expression shifted from surprise to amusement and then complete seriousness, "I'm actually a mermaid."

For a confusing moment, I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth and there was some kind of secret magical society that even I didn't know about or if she was making fun of me. Probably the latter. After letting the pause linger for a couple seconds, she cracked into a smile and then sputtered laughter, which drew a smile to my lips as well.

"Of course I'm human. What else would I be? And what makes you think I'm not?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Well, a human would need to replenish more blood before regaining consciousness - probably hospital-grade transfusion - but here you are functioning already on very little. And you can project your emotions into other people, which is not a regular human ability. And you feel a lot older than you say you are."

"Hmmm," she hummed thoughtfully, "Well, first, I never have much blood, so it's easy for me to pass out when only a little is taken," and she quickly took me through an amusing memory of a disastrous encounter with a lab test, "So I usually function on only a little, that's why I'm always so cold. As for projecting emotions, I don't do that. You're probably just tapping into them when you read my mind."

"I've never been able to pick up anyone's emotions before," I shook my head, "Just yours."

"Well, I've never picked up anyone's either," she made a shrugging motion with her mouth, "I think it's just you."

I was puzzled at her response, "Wait, do you mean you can feel mine too?"

_That's not normal?_ She looked confused as well, "Yeah. I get a strong sense of whatever you're feeling. I thought it was part of your gift."

"That explains a few things," I thought back to her hunting attempt and how she had known the deer I wanted and reacted to the mountain lion after I noticed it myself, "But also brings up a few more questions. It isn't normal for me to exchange feelings, I just hear thoughts. My brother, though, he can project his emotions onto other people; perhaps you're related to him somehow."

"I'm not related to any vampires that I know of," she smirked.

I chuckled, "You wouldn't know. My brother isn't really related to me, he just joined our coven; but we consider ourselves a family for all intents and purposes. He was born as a human in 1843, so your ancestors could be relatives of his. What's your family name?"

She stated and spelled out her surname, then took me on a brief mental tour of her lineage on both sides of the family tree.

"Hmm, nothing familiar, so probably not related then," I frowned and stared at her.

_What?_ She raised an eyebrow, _Still not convinced that I'm human?_

"What about your age?" I asked, "Don't you feel like your soul is older than 26?"

"Well, I think all souls are eternal," she said carefully, then admitted, "But I do feel like I was born in the wrong time period sometimes. Like I belong in a more old-fashioned world."

"I think so too," I added.

_About me or you?_

"About you, of course," I laughed, "I _am_ from an old-fashioned world."

"Oh, yeah," she muttered, _Do you think, __instead of__ your brother, that I might be related to _you_ somehow? That maybe _we're_ the ones who are connected?_

I suppressed my excitement at the possibility that she felt it too. There had to be something to this! I flopped onto my back and stared up at the tent ceiling, "_Do_ you think we're connected?"

"Yes, don't you?" she answered out loud, then silently, _Is it because you have my blood?_

"I think we are," I agreed and smiled, "But not because I have your blood. I felt this before that happened. I don't recognize your family names, though. We're not related, but we do have some kind of bond."

It was silent for a few seconds. Sophie was keeping her thoughts suppressed, but I caught glimpses of her own personal musings about past lives. I folded my hands behind my head and let my thoughts stray to the previous night. We had been so connected that I was actually able to experience sleep again, after surrendering to her influence. That was a level of mental merging no telepath had ever achieved, as far as I was aware. Even before that, the strength of her will over mine had given me enough self-control to drink without biting long enough for a filling meal. The biggest danger was over. I had attacked her at my weakest state; and though I still regretted my actions, she had come through alive. Blood or no blood, it felt like she had become part of me.

The only other human who had seen me at my worst and lived was Bella; and, though I hated to admit it, she would never reject me because she was drastically more susceptible to my predatory charms than any human before her. She was blinded by it. Somehow that was one feeling I hadn't picked up from my new companion. Sophie saw me clearly for what I was, and yet still seemed to care about me. The relief of it was like reuniting with a long-lost friend. Maybe this was the healthier kind of connection that I needed. Maybe it was best for everyone that I let Bella go after all. Given enough distance from me and time to regain her senses, she was sure to forget why she thought I was so important and find attractive things about normal boys. I said goodbye and had made it clear that it was final. I promised she would never see me again, and I intended to do us both a favor and keep that promise. Once Victoria was dead, I could move forward with confidence that there was no more immediate danger to the girl I loved. But to go back would be to invite new threats, so that chapter was closed. I didn't need to worry about her. Alice would be watching to make sure she moved on safely, and she would move on; humans always did. Their hearts are fickle and their attention spans short, whereas I was surely facing a long, heartbroken existence.

Before she spoke, I felt Sophie's concern, "What's wrong, Ed?"

Of course she could feel my distress, but I was too embarrassed to really confide in her about my unhealthy obsession with a high school girl.

"Just testing it," I lied, "I want to see if you can really tell what I'm feeling."

_That's __not true__, there's really something bothering him_, she thought; and even though she knew I could hear her skepticism, she played along anyway, "Okay, let's test it out. I'll try to feel something without thinking it, and you have to guess."

"Okay," I accepted, curious as to how she would be able to force herself into feeling something without thinking about it.


	8. Chapter 8

I should have known she was clever enough. In her mind, though for a challenge I tried not to notice, she was picturing a person. I would have no way of knowing who that person was or how she felt about them unless I could really read her emotions. Without words, she pictured this girl over and over again, from many different angles; and I began to feel my heart lift and my lips curl into a smile.

"You're feeling happy," I sensed, "Maybe a little excited even."

"That's right."

"Who is she?"

"My sister," Sophie pictured the girl again and I could see the resemblance, "We're best friends."

"I can tell," I rubbed my hand against my chest, fascinated by these emotions that were being forced into it, "My turn, I guess."

Since she was unable to read my thoughts for clues, I could vividly picture anything I wanted to in order to stir up an emotion. I recalled sitting in the Alaskan wilderness and looking up at the stars, as I often did when something was troubling me and I needed an escape. Mentally transporting myself back to those times, I was able to hear the quiet night noises and see the faint shooting stars that burned too quickly for human eyes to notice. Just like when I was truly there, I started to contemplate the seeming immortality of the stars and wonder if I might outlive even them.

Sophie sighed, "Something…not good or bad…just calm. Peaceful."

"Hmm," I smiled, "Yeah. That's right."

"I wish I could see it," she said somewhat sarcastically, "But, never mind, it's my turn."

She shuffled through thoughts vaguely until strongly focusing on a scene from her point of view where she was lying on a bed with a blue blanket pulled up to her eyes, staring at the wall. As I looked through the eyes of her memory, I felt a very uncomfortable feeling creep up on me until I was altogether seized by it. I realized that's why she was unmoving in her vision, because she was frozen by this feeling.

"What's this?" I complained, "This is unpleasant. It's kind of nervous, but not really afraid, just…"

_Uncomfortable_, she finished in her thoughts, "Sorry. I should have picked something nicer."

"Well, let's-" I started to say, but then my mouth started watering and my throat burned. Why would I be thirsty again? I should have been set for a couple weeks at least. Unless it wasn't me.

_Let's what?_ Sophie noticed my hesitation.

"Are you thirsty or is it me?" I asked, realizing that this aspect of our connection could be dangerous.

"I think it's me," she admitted softly, "I need some hydration."

"Of course," it was stupid of me to forget, "You need fluids after losing all that b-" It was a bad idea to say that word while I was thirsty, even vicariously.

Sophie pictured a water bottle for me and I recalled having seen it in her backpack when I was digging around for first aid supplies the night before. As I pulled it out, I noted that it was nearly empty, but the only other beverage in her bag was a bottle of whiskey. Even stranger was the complete lack of any food. I handed her the water and she pushed herself up onto her elbows to drink it, draining what was left in one chug. The thirsty feeling was satiated and she smiled. Before lying down again, she unzipped the sleeping bag half-way and flipped it open.

_It really gets warm in here when the sun is out_, she thought happily with her eyes closed, _Feels good to someone who's usually cold, like me._

With the sleeping bag pulled open now, I looked down at her body to assess her injuries in the daylight. It looked worse now than when I was bandaging her up. I had barely registered the dirty, stained tank top at that time; and there were little scratches covering her hands and arms that I hadn't even noticed and far more bruises now that the blood could be spared for them. How could she have gone through all that for me? I was definitely more of a monster than she was willing to admit.

"Hey," she said out loud, "Your turn."

"Oh yeah," I remembered our game.

It was probably best to give her something nice, rather than the guilt that was bubbling up from seeing the state of her, so I closed my eyes and shifted through memories of Bella until I settled on one. It was the first time I played her song for her. I could hear the melody in my head and my fingers twitched with the muscle memory of the piano keys. I poured my heart into the performance and she had watched me with the same emotion burning in her eyes. Yes, I could hurt forever, as long as she was safe. It would be worth it.

"It's love," Sophie said, her voice cracking with emotion and drawing me out of my memory.

As soon as the song faded from my mind, Sophie's reaction jumped in and hit me like a slap to the face. I jolted and opened my eyes to find her gripping both sides of her head with tears streaming down into her hair. Her thoughts were absolutely chaotic, and I fought to tune them out.

"I'm sorry," she gasped and rolled away from me, drawing her knees up to her chest in a fetal position, "Give me a minute. I can control this. I just..didn't want to feel that one again."

To her credit, she did seem to regain impressive command and was able to blank out her mind and reset her emotions to a dead state where there had previously been an overwhelming sense of despair. I recognized it because I knew it well. But while depression felt like a steady crushing weight to a lifeless being like me, I completely forgot the effect it could have on a working physiology. The racing heart, the struggle to breathe, the muscles trembling as they fought the instinct to run.

_Panic attack_, she thought in the clear inner voice she used when addressing me, _I'm so sorry. I'll have it under control in a minute._

Desperate to help, I placed a steady hand on her back and leaned over her, "Let me in. I'll take us back to the peaceful place."

As I pictured the two of us sitting in the isolated arctic landscape under a quiet, peaceful night sky, I felt her trembling come to a stop and her breathing and heartbeat slowly return to normal. After several minutes, the calm atmosphere seemed to double as she reengaged emotionally and tried to match my state. In my vision, the gradual glow of Northern Lights started to pulse across the sky. That was strange; I hadn't actively added that. Was it possible for her to do it?

"Thank you," she whispered eventually, breaking the spell, and I opened my eyes.

"Don't be embarrassed," I said, picking up easily on her new feeling.

She huffed bitterly, "I guess that makes us even."

"Not even close."

_I owe you an explanation._

"You don't owe me anything."

Struggling against dizziness, she sat up so that we were eye level and I was intrigued to find that her eyes were slightly bluer after the crying. Was that normal for humans? She still had a firm lock down on her thoughts and heart, so she delivered her story in a cold, matter-of-fact tone of voice, both internal and audible.

"I was in love with someone for the past three years.." _probably still am _"...and he loved me too. I know he did. Things aren't easy with me…" _panic attacks are just the worst part_ "...but he was the only person who was willing to put up with the challenges in order to be with me. He was my strength…"_ or maybe my crutch_ "...but pressures kept building and I only got worse. I couldn't give him what he wanted. Eventually, I was too much trouble even for him…" _the only shot I'll ever have at love_ "...and he left me about a month ago. So that emotion is kind of a sore spot for me right now." _But it's okay, you didn't know._

For as much as it could, my heart clenched up in sympathy, "Maybe it was him that was making you worse all along. Maybe he left you to protect you."

"He left me to protect himself," she corrected immediately, "But I don't blame him. I'm more trouble than I'm worth. Nobody will make that mistake again."

My frustration was twofold as I felt fiercely protective of my new friend and also suddenly imagined that Bella could be in the same state at this moment, "You'll find someone else. I've watched humans do it for a hundred years. You can't rule out love because of one person."

"The one person is me," she took a deep breath to get a better hold on the emotion she was still clamping down, "I wouldn't wish me on anyone else."

"Don't do that," I grabbed her face, probably harder than I meant to, but I was desperate, "You need to move on. _I need_ to know that you can move on. You're stronger than this and you've gotten through worse than a breakup before."

I was forcing her to look back at me and she didn't struggle, but the look in her eyes was defiant. _He's not even talking about me_, she told herself, but out loud she said, "I don't care, and it's none of your business anyway. There's no point anymore…" there was a silent pause as conflict tugged within her about whether or not to continue before she finally blurted, "I came up here to die. If I hadn't gotten mixed up with you, I'd have done it already. Eat me, yourself, if you want to - at least then my life won't have been a total waste - just make it quick and painless. Either way, as soon as you're gone…" her hand moved to the revolver still holstered to her hip, _ I should still have one shot left._

How calm had she been about this decision to be able to hide it from me up until now? I was offended and angry and...scared. Was this what true heartbreak drove a person to?


	9. Chapter 9

"It _is_ my business now," I fumed, releasing her face to lean back with clenched fists, "Just like you rushed into mine! You're stuck in me like the soul I didn't think I had, so you can't check out on me that easily. And if you think I have no right to control your actions, then why is _your_ heart racing with _my_ anger?"

I saw it coming, but didn't even wince as Sophie lashed out with a solid punch to my chest. Luckily she was still too weak to put enough force into it, so I didn't hear anything break, but she immediately pulled her arm back with a hiss of pain, which I could feel an echo of in my own fingers. The action seemed to have exhausted her pent up energy, so I reached out and gently took her hand, pressing my cold palm against her throbbing knuckles. A few seconds later, the emotional turmoil had faded as well; and all was silent, even her mind.

"So this was fate," she mumbled at last, staring blankly at our hands, _How did we find each other? __What _are_ we?_

"I don't know," I admitted, "But this is just the beginning."

Our link and whatever divine intervention had brought us together gave me a new kind of hope. Suddenly _vampire_ seemed like a terribly boring and inadequate word. For the first time, I knew I was so much more; because whatever Sophie was, I was also. Existing next to her was easy; it was natural. We transcended any bond I'd felt before, beyond loyalty, carnal cravings, or blinding obsession. I could save her - I had to - and if I did, I felt like I could save myself too. She had the potential to understand me better than even my own family.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, somehow anticipating my next thought.

The trials we had gone through on this mountain and the emotional storm it had stirred up were fading now. Reality was still out there, and both of us would have to get back to it, no matter how much our encounter had changed us. I wasn't at all eager to return to the world outside this tent. In fact, I was hesitant to lose contact with this human girl at all, for fear it might shatter the whole experience like a dream. But there were rules against this sort of thing, and I had already been pushing my luck with Bella. Surely there was a discrete way for Sophie and I to stay in contact and look out for each other. I had no worries about her ability to keep my secret.

"We'll figure it out together," I promised.

"Okay, so..." she looked up at me wryly with those green and gold-flecked eyes, which I could have read every thought through, even without my powers, "We may be linked, but I don't really know much about you." She added silently, _Or about vampires in general. _"Teach me."

I pursed my lips unhappily, "This feels like a step backwards after you've already seen the most intense parts. Are you sure you want to know more?"

"It seems like I'm going to need to understand your world, if you want to stay friends," she looked back at our hands. _What makes your skin glitter like that?_

"You've probably noticed by now how cold and rough it is. It's harder than stone - almost impenetrable - and the facets of its crystalline structure reflect sunlight like that. So, there you go...sparkly skin when the sun is out. It's one of the side-effects of dying by vampire venom."

"You think you're dead?" she raised an eyebrow, "I would call it 'preserved.'"

"That's an interesting way to look at it," I smiled and pulled her hand toward me, placing it flat against my chest, "But what else would you call someone who doesn't need to breathe and has no heartbeat?"

She stared at her fingers, waiting for any motion from my chest that would indicate an active heart or lungs. _He really doesn't have a heartbeat. And he only breathes when he's speaking. This is so c__reepy__._

Finally, I took a breath to say something and the movement almost seemed to startle her, making her pull back her hand quickly, so I couldn't help but chuckle, "Am I really creeping you out?"

"Sorry," she said, giving a small embarrassed smile, "It's just so unusual – it's hard to suppress the urge to give you CPR." _But anyway_, "I haven't seen anyone else sparkle the way you do, so there must not be that many vampires around, right?"

"Not in California," I shrugged, "We keep our existence a secret mainly by living in areas known for being overcast most of the time. My coven was living in Washington until just recently."

"Your…coven," she repeated, "They're like you? Friendly to humans?"

I smiled, "Yes, we're a rare sub-culture of a rare species. It's an exceptional and lonely existence."

"At least you have each other," she smirked, _How many are you?_

"Six others, and me," I thought about my family and how they would react to this new development. Undoubtedly, Alice had seen it coming some time ago, but chose not to tell me. I couldn't blame her, though. I was inconsolable when I left, consumed with grief over having to leave Bella, and I never would have listened to talk of me finding a new human girl with such a refreshing effect on me, even if I had been thinking straight enough to probe my sister's mind for any such visions. But now it made sense why Alice had been the least resistant to my plan of taking off by myself.

"Hmmm," Sophie hummed through a smile, "You must be thinking about them. You feel happier."

"I think they'd like you," I imagined that scene, "You'll have to meet them eventually."

"When? Where?" her smile faded, "Ed, we're from two different worlds, and we can't stay on this mountain forever. You've still got a girlfriend to protect, and I guess I've got a life to put back together. But I can't go back to normal after this, not without you. I feel like..." she looked away in embarrassment, _Like I'm really going to miss you.__ I can__'t look at the world the same anymore. __What do we do now?_

I knew exactly what she meant. When we separated, it really would feel like part of me was missing. It was silent for a long minute as my mind raced through the potential paths we could take, until I finally asked, "What do you think?"

_You already know everything I think, but… _"My hometown isn't too far away. You could always come back there with me to clean up and recover in civilization before setting out on your hunt again. Our house has plenty of room. That'll give us more time to figure things out. Can you see it?" she asked curiously.

I nodded and closed my eyes, tapping into her mind so I could directly see the visuals she was creating. To my amusement, she was quite the creative story-teller. I watched as she played out the potential tale of our trip back to her home to meet her family. The reactions of each of her family members were increasingly amusing, especially the sister who I recognized from our earlier game. When it came time for us all to sit down for dinner together, Sophie's picture slowed to a stop. _What would he eat?_ I heard her ask herself. A moment later, she replaced the dishes of food on the table with a large deer carcass, still possessing fur, antlers, and a tongue hanging sideways out of its mouth. We both immediately burst into laughter and opened our eyes to look at each other.

"And once my mission is over, I could bring you up to meet my family, so you could learn more about us," I suggested, and she closed her eyes again, so I followed.

My smile got wider and wider as she put together a scene of how she imagined dinner at my house would be, purposefully using every vampire stereotype she could think of. The six people around the table all looked like me, or female versions of me, with sparkling faces and high-collared black capes. The room was dark, save for the light of candles dripping down antique candelabras with spider webs strung between. The dinner table was black stone shaped like a coffin, and a goblet of blood sat before each of my clones. Finally, she completed the scene by placing herself as the main dish on the table, matching the earlier deer's pose, down to the lolling tongue. Again, we both cracked up, but she quickly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Ed," she winced, "I trust you completely, but I guess my subconscious still has a few fears."

"And I trust _you_ all the more for being honest about it," I was still smiling at the image of me in the iconic vampire cape and the triggering of a memory from years ago when I thought I was being terribly clever one Halloween.

Vaguely the word "_hungry_" drifted into my mind and I shook myself out of the memory, feeling guilty for not thinking of it earlier. Of course this poor girl would be hungry, she hadn't eaten in all the time we'd been together – almost an entire day.

"You need some food," I leaned toward her backpack, hoping there was some kind of snack I had overlooked earlier.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively, "I can comfortably go a few days between eating." _Besides I didn__'t plan on being here long enough to actually need food, so I didn't bring any__. Don__'t worry about it._

I could tell she was sincere, not just being polite, and I shook my head, "A few days, huh? Even more evidence that you're not entirely human. That sounds more like a vam…"

The word sounded again in mind - _hungry!_ \- only clearer and louder, causing me to pause. It wasn't even in Sophie's voice. I sat up straight and inhaled sharply.

"What is it?" my companion picked up immediately on the sense of unease and implications of my action.

She was already pulling her legs out of the sleeping bag and checking the gun on her hip when my senses confirmed that we had company. An angry, hungry Victoria was approaching quickly. We had maybe five seconds before she would be on top of us. I grabbed the canvas wall closest to me and tore it open, then spun around and picked Sophie up, throwing her over my shoulder as I shot through the opening. Although weight was no problem for my strength, the position was awkward because she was nearly the same size as me. Our small head start wouldn't last long at this rate.

_Victoria!_ Sophie warned as our pursuer came into view.

I could hear her now, and make out her thoughts more clearly. Normally, I would have been able to sense her from a much greater distance, and this worried me. My strengthening connection with this human was dampening my sensitivity to others. I had been so caught up with her that I hadn't even considered the danger of Victoria returning – I hadn't listened for any warning signs. Thanks to my stupidity, one of us was likely to be hurt again very soon. I cursed myself as I ran, and tried to get a better grasp on the other vampire's train of thought.


	10. Chapter 10

"I thought you were hunting _her_," Sophie called from my back, "Why would she come back after you?"

"She's not after me," I could hear that clearly now.

_Me?!_ The girl's mind realized in terror.

"I'll do my best," I said simply, knowing she would grasp the full meaning.

From Victoria's thoughts, I could tell she had only barely recovered from our last encounter. Some animal blood had helped, but she still needed a human meal; and Sophie was still the closest dish. There was vengeance mixed in now, more than before. She wanted it to be this particular human because she had a score to settle after the gunshot from the first encounter, and she saw how hard I had fought to protect the girl in the last one. Victoria hoped this kill would hurt me – but she had no idea just how much it could. For her part, Sophie was putting the situation together in her mind and once again preparing for what she might have to endure.

_It's more important for you to get away,_ she sent her thoughts to me but must've realized I wouldn't agree, _If you get hurt, we both die. But if she gets me, at least you'll have a chance to escape while she's eating. I believe in you, Ed, but my chances are slim, you have to admit._

"Stop it," I growled, pushing myself to run faster.

_My offer still stands_, she continued anyway, _If you think it'll give you an advantage, take my blood before she does._

To shut her up and hopefully shake our pursuer a bit, I executed a series of zig zags at jarring speed between the dense tree trunks of the forest we were passing through. Up ahead, we came to the edge of a steep hill and I picked up speed running down it toward a trail that skirted the edge of a river canyon. If I could jump across it, there were more boulders on the other side of the river that might make it easier for me to fight Victoria while Sophie found someplace to keep out of reach. Before we even made it to the trail, though, I felt Sophie tense.

"Look out!" she yelled, and pushed into my mind the view of Victoria's powerful leap from the top of the hill.

"Roll!" I commanded, flipping her legs over my back and letting go as I spun around and brought up my arms to engage Victoria just as she landed.

We collided and I grabbed a hold of her, even as we tumbled the rest of the way down the incline. I briefly probed out mentally to make sure Sophie had rolled to a safe stop, but in this moment of distraction, Victoria wrenched herself free and bounded in a new direction. I found my feet and took another moment to get a sense of where everything was in our battleground, hoping that something in the terrain might lend me any advantage. The hill rose up to my right, the river canyon to my left, and the winding, tree-lined trail snaked out in front of me. Sophie was just climbing up into a crouch behind me, having narrowly avoided tumbling over the edge of the cliff.

_Find a defensible position_, she was telling herself and searching around for the closest boulder or tree.

Further ahead of us, Victoria was pacing like a predator, also sorting out a strategy. She was definitely keeping her distance this time, being more cautious and deliberate in her actions. I had nearly killed her already the day before, and from our brief tussle, she could tell that I was in a stronger condition than her.

"Well, it didn't take you long to find a new pet, did it?" Victoria snarled, "You're more fickle than a human."

I ignored her jest and watched from the corner of my eye until Sophie had crossed safely to hide behind a tree. She considered climbing it, but decided it wouldn't make a difference and she'd rather be mobile. Smart girl. A tree trunk was a nice barrier, but the only thing that could truly protect her was me.

"Hey, human!" Victoria yelled, "What did this fur-sucker promise you? Or threaten you with? You know he has another mate that he's actually fighting for. He's just using you."

_I trust you_, Sophie's voice in my head was accompanied by a slightly uneasy feeling.

Victoria couldn't realize it, but my connection to this human was suddenly more dangerous. If she began to despair, it would affect my fighting energy too. The other vampire must have seen the flicker of concern pass over my face, because she continued to bait us.

"He wants me to think that he values you now, so that I'll kill you and forget about his other girl," she smiled wickedly, "He's willing to sacrifice your life to protect his true mate."

_If you can only save one of us_, Sophie thought loudly from her hiding place, _Don't choose me._

This had to stop now, so I lunged at the mouthy vampire. A split second after my feet left the ground, I saw the smirk on her face and knew I had fallen right into her trap. Jumping straight up and kicking off the tree at her back, she flipped right over me as my momentum continued to carry me forward. When she landed several meters behind me, there was nothing between her and Sophie except a bit of open ground and a tree trunk.

"No!" I yelled, cursing myself as I turned and sprang after her.

Time seemed to crawl by in the seconds that followed. I was still a few feet behind her when Victoria reached Sophie and swung at her, fingers hooked open like claws. Eyes wide, the human girl fell backwards just in time, and the deadly blow passed by millimeters in front of her face only to smash into the tree. Victoria was already bringing her arm back for a second swipe when I finally made contact. Still too late. The backhanded attack was knocked low by our collision and opened gashes across the human's stomach instead of her neck. My grip faltered as I felt the pain and fear tear through the connection between me and Sophie.

_Pressure, pressure, keep it all in_, her thoughts flowed through my mind as the sound of her gasping reached my ears.

I tried to tune her out, but she sounded bad...she felt bad...and, though I dare not turn to look for myself, I could see through Victoria's eyes that she looked bad as well. The fresh scent of blood gave my enemy a desperate burst of strength.

_This is it_, the vampire was thinking as she spun out of my hold and locked her attention on the injured girl, _I've got her now_.

With a primal yell, I grabbed at her leg, pulling her back with me as I jumped in the opposite direction of her prey. She tried to use the momentum of being jerked backwards to turn around and swing a punch at me, but I dodged my head aside and bit down on her arm as it passed. Shrieking, she brought a knee up into my stomach with a sickening crunch. Between this new injury and the pain I was feeling from Sophie's cuts, I couldn't help but double over in shock. Her arm wrenched free of my bite, tearing out a chunk of flesh in the process, and she was out of reach before I could recover.

_Not without a fight_, came Sophie's determined inner voice.

I turned just in time to see Victoria pounce directly toward the human, who was lying on her back, still clutching at her middle to hold it together, but her eyes were glued to her attacker with a glint of challenge in them. Now that there was blood in the air, Victoria was frantic and lost all sense of strategy. She was attacking in a direct, predictable manner that Sophie and I both read easily at the same time. Even against partial vampire speed, the human girl somehow managed to time her counter-attack perfectly. Her feet came up together against the descending woman's ribcage, moving with her body not to stop it, but to deflect it. Redirected by the leverage of those legs, Victoria missed her target and flew just past the bleeding girl. At the last second, though, her flailing arm found purchase in the flesh of Sophie's thigh and tore through. Blood spurted out of the wound, covering the front of its owner until her leg collapsed limply to the side.

Sophie let out an agonized scream, and the pain that we shared was disorienting; but the sight of this precious friend dying under my protection was enough to drive me on. I knew she could feel my determination, I just hoped it would help. With one jump, I planted myself next to my companion, arms up and ready to defend.

"Hang on," I muttered.

There was little she could do about the pain, but a few moments later I could feel her clamp down on her panic, _Kill her._

From where she crouched a dozen feet away, the vampire hesitated, looking from me to the human, even as the blood frenzy contorted her face.

"You won't get through me again, Victoria," I growled, "And even if you do, I'll tear your head off the moment you bend down for a bite. You can't eat without leaving yourself exposed."

"Despicable!" she raged back at me, as her crazed mind made logic of what I was saying, "You're using her as bait. Trying to get me to drop my guard!"

"I _need_ her!" this retort was more for Sophie's benefit, though she was still holding down an emotional dead zone, "I'll protect her with my life. Taking yours would just be a bonus."

_Just let her have me, then kill her_, she thought tightly, _Make the pain stop._


	11. Chapter 11

"There's no way," Victoria was furious now, "No way you could get this attached to another snack so fast. Who's guarding your fragile little Bella while you're out here adopting new pets?"

Despite her effort to hold back, Sophie let out of wail of agony beside me and screamed through clenched teeth as a fresh wave of pain accompanied a snapping sensation in our midsections. I doubled over just as Victoria took advantage and slammed into me. We tumbled across the ground, twisting and tearing at each other, but she was so frantic and I was in such pain that I couldn't get a solid hold on her. Suddenly, she got a firm lock on one of my arms and started to twist it around behind me. I struggled with all my strength, rolling us across the trail, only to end up pinned on my stomach with one arm trapped behind me and my head hanging over the edge of the canyon, staring at the churning rapids far below. Though I beat at her with my free hand, Victoria got her other arm hooked around my neck and was sitting up, trying to bend my head backwards to a lethal snapping point. I wasn't going to get out of this.

_This is it_, I heard in an eerily calm voice, _Last shot._

Resisting against the strength of the woman who was about to murder me, I managed to turn my head enough to look back to where Sophie was lying against the tree trunk. She was clenching her shredded middle with one hand and holding her revolver to her temple with the other. We locked eyes, but no words passed between us, only pain and a dull sense of regret. Her finger began to tighten on the trigger. Victoria managed to sit up another inch, bending my head with her and I heard the first crack from my neck. Then in a swift and fluid motion, Sophie extended her arm to aim the gun at me instead, while simultaneously lifting her other hand to steady it in a double-handed grip, allowing the contents of her stomach wound to slip freely out now. A moment later the shot rang out and above me the side of Victoria's skull exploded into fragments. With a guttural groan, her hold on me slackened she slumped forward, tumbling over my shoulders and off the side of the cliff, splashing into the river below.

I pushed myself up onto my knees and half-crawled, half-staggered back to the dying girl, who seemed to have passed beyond the realm of pain already. The immediate area was a bloodbath and even without breathing, I could smell the feast laid out before me. Luckily I wasn't hungry; and my own injuries were the last thing on my mind when I took in the sight of her lying in a pool of crimson, arms trembling as they attempted to push pieces back into the gaping gashes across her belly, one leg splayed awkwardly askew while the other kicked at the ground like she was trying to scoot herself up.

"Sophie…" I said weakly, kneeling beside her and working quickly to wrap up her torso and thigh wound with the torn-off legs of her jeans. It would hold her together but there was no way to stop the bleeding in time. We were too far from civilization for me to carry her, and I couldn't even reach top speed in my current condition anyway.

She easily picked up on the despair that welled up in me as I realized that no matter what I did, it was already too late. Our eyes met – hers were shockingly green now, surrounded by deathly pale skin where it was visible between the bright red blood splatters. I wanted to promise her that I could find help in time, but she was too far gone and we both knew it.

Teeth clenched together too hard to speak, she held my gaze and sent out her thoughts, _This is it for me, Ed, no arguing. Make the most of it, okay? Take what's left of my blood and go __finish off Victoria__._

It made sense; but there was no way I could kill her and live with myself. There was also no way I could just sit here uselessly and watch her die. I tried to project a will to live through to her. Then, for a moment she closed her eyes, and I feared they wouldn't open again.

"Don't go," I pleaded, "You...you said it was _fate_. Fate didn't bring us together just for this. It couldn't have been. I still need you!"

Her eyelids rolled open heavily and her eyes took a second to find me, _If you t__ake my blood__, then I'm still with you. That's what you need. I'm sorry I didn't meet your family. Maybe you'll find me again someday, when I'm warm..._

This was bad. Even her thoughts were becoming slurred and disoriented now. The further she slipped away, the more it felt like something inside of me was breaking. The unlikely hope I had discovered over the past day was fading already. Frustrated and helpless, all I could do was hold her face and growl when I really wanted to cry, if such a thing were still possible. My tortured noise startled the haze from her eyes and she looked up at me, scared and confused, reaching up to grip my fingers in her blood-slick hand with surprising strength.

_Help..._

I wasn't sure if it was her thought or my own - I wasn't even sure if she knew who I was anymore - but the air was buzzing with mutual distress. From the back of my mind, a reprehensible option presented itself. Something I normally wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, let alone someone I cared about. Though somehow, between our shared panic and my own selfishness, it suddenly seemed like a good idea.

"It doesn't have to end like this," I said with a delirious smile, "I can...preserve you."

It was unfair of me to offer her something she didn't completely understand, but neither of us had the luxury of logical thinking at the moment. Perhaps my own desperation for her to stay with me influenced her response, or perhaps she was already so far gone that she didn't know what I was suggesting at all.

Either way, she focused on me with trusting eyes and gave a tiny nod, _Okay._

I squeezed her hand and lowered my face to her neck, where an artery weakly throbbed beneath her deliciously blood-stained skin. My mouth tingled as venom automatically seeped into it in anticipation. Not a single consequence crossed my mind; all I could think about was saving this person that I was so inexplicably bonded to. And so I bit. If I wasn't still full from the previous day's meal, this entire exercise would have gone much differently. Nevertheless, it was all I could do to keep from drinking as I dug my teeth in deeper, forcing as much venom into my mouth as I was able to control. The taste of her blood was familiar to me, but the sensation of piercing human tissue – soft, warm, easily punctured, and not covered in fur – was so satisfying that my eyes rolled back in pleasure. How I missed this! How much better this was than a disgusting animal! Sophie's gasp brought me somewhat back to focus.

_Why does this feel good?_ she wondered.

Because she was feeling what I was feeling, I knew. A couple seconds later, the situation turned around completely and I noticed a warming sensation spring to life in my own neck. Oh, no. The pain that accompanied vampire venom was the worst I had ever experienced. I would never forget that terrible burning, but I never thought I would have to feel it again. It sobered me up instantly, and I released my hold on Sophie's neck.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped, just as she began crying out in terror, and for the second time in my life I descended into the throes of unimaginable torture.

The venom was spreading in the slowest, most agonizing way, thanks to her weak pulse. I could feel it – I could feel every movement of the poison inside her, and I was frantic to end this. Even clouded by pain, I was able to work out a few solutions: just kill her outright, run far enough away that our connection might weaken, or hasten the progress of her circulation. No matter how overwhelming this pain was about to get, my determination to stick by her was even stronger. Luckily, improving circulation in a patient was a pretty basic part of my past medical training.

Clapping one hand over the bite wound so none of the venom-laced blood would escape, I sat up and massaged up and down her shoulders and arms with my other hand. There had to be a better way to speed along the transformation, but I couldn't think straight enough for more strategizing; so I kept kneading away at her arms in this sloppy massage attempt, unintentionally applying far too much pressure to her already-bandaged wounds. She shrieked and tried to push me away, but she barely had the strength to tremble. Between my efforts and her panic, it was working, though, and the sensation of liquid fire had dropped from my neck to my chest and was now spreading down my arms. The venom was dispersing through her veins. The burning had me shaking so badly now that I couldn't even continue my action and I crumpled to the ground next to her, somehow managing to keep the hand on her neck clamped firmly over the punctures.

Sophie's screams had become voiceless wheezes and even her thoughts were wordless and incoherent, but the fear of burning alive had given her strength enough to thrash within my grip. Good. The more she moved, the faster the toxic blood would reach her extremities. Still, it felt agonizingly slow and after several minutes, I was only vaguely picking up a tingle in one of my legs. With a grunt of effort, I pulled myself up and released her neck to crawl down to her legs instead. First, I massaged her uninjured leg until the fevered pain could be felt all the way down to my own toes; but one look at her pale, unmoving limb and the soaked pant leg that I'd tied around it, and I knew we had problems. On my own corresponding leg, I could only detect the faintest sting in the lower half meaning that the venom was barely being distributed beyond the wound.

Eventually the transformation would repair her artery, but the venom would be too unevenly distributed by then to give her equally-functional legs. My head was too clouded for a fully-formed plan. All I knew was that there needed to be more venom below her wound and it needed to spread without relying on steady blood flow. I could do both those things. Biting briefly into her calf, I found that there was no pressure behind the blood that trickled out into my mouth. Once enough of my venom was deposited, I sat up and began to manually work the spreading of it over the length of her limb until both of my own felt equally inflamed.

Once again, I collapsed beside her and tried not to writhe with pain. I still had my own injuries from that final battle which were probably healing now with the aid of the sips of blood I had managed to swallow during the biting, and it would help even more if I could lay still. But this pain was only the beginning. This was the less-invasive phase of the venom, where it simply circulated slowly with the blood until each artery was saturated with it. From there, it would seep into every capillary, every vein, and eventually every cell - and then it would begin to kill each one.


	12. Chapter 12

Every once in a while, my companion would collect herself out of the internal screaming long enough to form a lucid thought.

_Why am I on fire?_

Some time later, _How have I not burnt up completely by now?_

Then, _I should be dead._

Finally, _Just let me die!_

_Soon enough_, I thought bitterly, and sadly took inventory of what she - and therefore I - was losing.

With great effort, I rolled onto my side to face her and opened my eyes. It was evening now, and in the twilight, I stared at her dull, dirty skin. My trembling hand stretched out to hold hers and the contact made her grip tightly as her back arched off the ground and a fresh sob of agony tore from her throat. Tears flowed anew down the path they had cleared through the dried blood on her cheeks. Her hand felt cold, but I knew it would never actually be this warm again. Her skin, never this soft again. The reddish-brown stains that painted her body were the last traces of her pure human blood; and the tears that ran from her puffy eyelids were the last she would be able to cry. Never again would we be able to share a dream-filled sleep. Had she been ready to give up so much of herself? I had barely even given her a choice.

Hand in hand, we rode out the next several hours with much writhing and groaning in torment. On top of that, Sophie was shivering violently in the cold night air, which I could barely comprehend, considering the searing heat of the venom ripping every molecule of her body apart. This phase was the height of the torture, beyond the threshold of survivability. It was completely overwhelming, even though I knew that my own body wasn't physically effected at all. But I had done this to her, and I'd see her through it. Eventually, even the thrashing and shaking ceased as her muscles died, one cell at a time; but she stubbornly kept forcing air in and out of her lungs and, despite the labor of moving venom-thickened blood, her heart pounded on slowly.

Suddenly she let out a sharp yelp, and I opened my eyes to find us in the center of a pack of coyotes. Two of them were biting at Sophie's arm and leg, trying to tear pieces of meat from her stiff limbs and one was sniffing, somewhat confused, around my own leg. Of course scavengers would be drawn to the smell of such a bloody scene. I should have been more alert.

Reminding myself that the pain was all in my head, I sat up quickly and growled in annoyance at the dogs. The unexpected movement and aggressiveness of my voice made the animals all jump back and yip energetically. It was already too late for the two that had bitten Sophie, because the venom from her flesh would poison them to death before morning; but I didn't really feel like having to kill any other creatures tonight, especially when I was in no mood to make the most of it. Coyote was one of the most disgusting animal bloods I'd ever tasted. With another growl and quick swipe toward the pack, the scavengers jumped back even further and trotted around nervously until they decided that it wasn't really worth the trouble, and they disappeared up over the hill.

Dawn was beginning to creep across the sky and the faint light helped me examine the bite marks my companion had sustained. There were clear tears in her blueish-gray skin from the canine teeth, but none of the wounds bled. They would close up, no problem, during the transformation. Apparently the incident had startled some sense into her because she was thinking clearly through the pain now.

_Worst night ever..._

I couldn't help but stretch my grimace into a smile as I leaned up and touched her face, forcing my voice out through clenched teeth, "Hey, Sophie, sorry about that. But don't worry, I'm still here."

_Ed?_ She recognized and somehow got her eyes to open, but they were dull and staring off into nothing, _I can't see!_

"Your human parts are dying," I explained, "The venom is going to do its work, but you need to let go. You're still fighting to stay alive."

_Because I'm scared._

Beneath the anguish, I could feel it too, and for all the same reasons. What if she came back different? What if more of her got lost than just her warmth and fragility and beautiful eyes?

"You're the one who believes in souls, right?" I reminded her, "Even in monsters like me. You still believe that?"

_Vampires..._do_ have souls_, she thought with conviction.

"Then you'll still be here, just the same, after the transformation. But first you have to let go."

_Don't leave me._

"I'm right next to you," I promised, "The first thing you're going to see with your new eyes is me."

_All right_, she took a deep wheezing breath, _See you on the other side._

As she exhaled slowly, her pupils dilated and her labored heart finally stuttered to a stop. It was a terrifying moment, staring into her dead eyes and hoping to all that was good in the universe that she hadn't been wrong about souls. I could immediately feel the change within myself - the lack of _her_ \- and it felt empty and terrible. Between turning my back on Bella's love and this new sense of abandonment, I hit the loneliest rock bottom I had ever experienced. My only comfort was the logic that Bella was still safe and that Sophie would be back with me in a matter of time, though it wouldn't actually be comforting until I could feel it. The torture of waiting for that reunion was nearly as bad as the physical pain of the transformation. Gradually, though, that searing fire of the venom began to fade from my nerves with a tingling sensation, either because the last bit of human awareness had finally been burnt out of its host or because I had temporarily lost my connection with Sophie until the change brought her back to "life."

I drew in a breath just for the sake of being able to let out a groan as I stretched the muscles I had been clenching for hours. My head finally clear, I wondered if I should move us during this brief window of painlessness. The rest of the transformation could take days and I was sure that coyotes weren't the only creatures in these hills that would get curious about the smell. Besides, we would both need new clothes before setting off after this, so maybe it would be better to head back to Sophie's campsite.

Picking her up was no easy task now that her entire body was stiff and unwieldy. Her major wounds were still being held together by little more than the tightly-wrapped pant legs, so she remained a bit fragile in this stage. Nevertheless, I felt like I had to take advantage of the short respite from the pain. As carefully as I could, I carried her up the hill and started across the terrain we had escaped over the day before. I had run pretty far at that time, so we likely had a couple miles to go; and she was in no state to withstand me trying to do it at a run again. The sun was rising and we were about halfway back to camp when I felt something stirring in her and a fire lit up again in my chest.

"Here we go," I groaned, setting her down on the ground and taking my own place next to her, ready to ride out the rest of this process.

This time, the pain was a cold kind of burn, like frostbite, with a sizzling sting; and it spread agonizingly slow out from the heart. One by one the cells were being transformed and starting to interact with each other, causing a tedious chain reaction. But I welcomed it because with the pain returned the relieving sense of connection, rushing in to fill the void that her absence had left in me. Over the course of the day, I could feel consciousness sparking back to life in her mind, but it wasn't until evening that she formed her first full thought as a vampire.

_I still can't see._

"Give it time," I smiled in spite of myself, happy to hear her voice in my head again after so long, "It'll take a while for all of you to change completely."

_And I can't move_, Sophie assessed herself weakly, _Am I really dead now? My muscles…is this rigor mortis?_

"Yes, the venom has stopped all your life functions_,_" I explained, "Technically you are dead now, and being restructured."

She processed this for a minute before forming another question, _How long is the pain going to last?_

I knew that an average transformation took a few days, but it was hard to predict when it could be shorter or longer than that. The good news was that the pain would fade eventually, I just didn't know what kind of timeline to give her.

_Good_, she thought, _As long as there's an end._

Everything in me froze, and I suddenly realized how most of my family felt around me all the time. If someone had a special ability as a human, they would end up with a super power as a vampire. Although I didn't know that much about her, I knew that Sophie's special ability seemed to be her connection to me. That bond was already proving to be dangerously strong, and it frightened me to imagine what it would become by the end of this transformation. She already had access to my mind.

_It's only fair_, she tossed her thoughts at me, _You can't be the only one who gets to listen in. I hope I can't hear other people, though._

_Believe me, most of the time you really don't want to know_, I grunted out a strained chuckle.

Somehow I could feel her frown, even though it was physically impossible for her to do so yet, _Ed, this is hurting you too. Have you been feeling it all along?_

_Yeah, no big deal_, I thought back sarcastically, _It's been a century, but I _have_ done this before._

Guilt strong enough to detect through the pain accompanied her reaction, _I'm sorry. I wish I had just died. I wanted to go quick and painless; and now here I am, dragging you through all this._

Barely a minute old and she was already exhibiting newborn emotional instability. This was going to be a challenge.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey," I said out loud to distract her, "My eyes are still good. If you can see my thoughts, then watch the sky with me, okay? Try not to focus on the pain."

_Okay, let me get the hang of this..._

It had definitely taken me a while to get used to switching between my own thoughts or vision and another person's, but at least she only had one other mind to handle and no sight of her own to get in the way. She must have picked it up right away because everything was quiet as we lay in searing pain, both watching clouds roll by overhead through my unblinking eyes. The sunset painted its fluffy canvas golden, then pink, purple, and finally blue as night set in. Stars struggled to peek out between the increasing cloud cover, and I hazarded a short breath.

Noticing this immediately, Sophie snapped out of her daze, _What is it?_

_It's going to rain_, I predicted, _Can you use your lungs yet?_

Experimentally, she tried to activate the muscles in her chest, _Why is this so weird?! I have no idea how to make them work when it's not automatic._

_You have to pull down with your diaphragm_, I explained, _and yours is probably still patching up somewhere in that nasty wound._

She thought about it for a while, then I heard a slow, sickly inhale, _I did it! That hurt like crazy, but I did it!_

_Good_, I smiled, _But it all leaked out already. Do it again and hold it for a second. Tell me if you smell anything._

After a couple attempts, she was able to get another breath and actually taste the flavors in it, _Smells like rain._ Her excitement flipped immediately to annoyance. _Great..._

Great, indeed. As if our situation wasn't already uncomfortable enough, within the hour we began to feel the pelting of tiny droplets on our bodies. I reached over to make sure her mouth was closed, then cupped my hand over her nose. The last thing she needed was an unpleasant lesson in evacuating water that had trickled in to her stomach or lungs. Gradually, the rain droplets evolved into a heavy downpour, and I couldn't tell if I was truly as irritated as I felt, or if it was a newborn mood swing from Sophie.

_You know what this feels like?_ she finally thought loudly sometime during the soggy night, _Hydrogen peroxide. It feels like someone is just pouring a waterfall of hydrogen peroxide on my open wound._

I thought back to all the times I had seen patients hiss as the disinfectant bubbled over their wound, _It wasn't really in wide use when I was human, so I've never felt it. But if it's like this...then that makes sense._

Observing my memories, she projected curiosity, _You're a doctor?_

_I study medicine occasionally_, I explained, _When you're immortal and can't sleep, you start learning a lot of new things to keep from getting bored. You'll see._

Her thoughts slowly spiraled out of my comprehension and I picked up on a train of emotion that flowed from nervous to overwhelmed to exhausted. I didn't jump in, though, because they were all relevant reactions to the future she was facing. She would have to deal with them sooner or later, and it was better for her to do it while immobilized. I knew she could control her own panic, if needed. Still, it would have been nice to work through the fears with her in a quiet, comforting environment, like we'd done in the tent; not lying in the mud, pelted by heavy rain, deafened by thunder, and burning with a constant state of internal combustion.

After a while, she ventured, _Thanks for sticking with me, Ed. I have no idea how any of this works, but I know you have more important things to do. __You'll stay, though, won't you? Until it's done?_

_I __won__'t move until you do._

_I'm sorry._

I snorted out loud, _This is my fault__, remember?__ I'm the one who should be sorry._

She thought back to that first encounter at the granite cliffs,_If I hadn't gotten involved in the beginning…_

_We'd both be dead_, I interjected.

With irony in her tone, she pointed out, _Well, what would you call us now?_

_Together,_ I smiled.

I could feel a peace finally settle over her. After all she'd told me about her ex, it was clear that she constantly held a fresh fear of abandonment when things got tough; but I wasn't going to leave her, and she was allowing herself to trust in that at last.

Still, the image of Victoria was nagging at her mind, _What about your girlfriend? Bella, right?_

Hearing her name surprised me a bit, as I was sure I hadn't said it out loud or thought about her directly since Sophie had started reading my mind. Was she able to read more in me than just thoughts and feelings?

Sensing my confusion, she painted a memory that both of us knew, _Victoria said her name during that last fight._

Oh, that explained it. _Yeah, Bella. I'm surprised you remembered that, with everything else you were going through at the moment_.

She conjured up the image of a small dark-haired girl for me to see, _I have a little cousin named Bella, so t__he threat kind of stuck out to me__. I'll help you save her, Ed. __When__ we catch up with Victoria, it'll be two against one._

I felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of the advantage. Victoria would have a significant head start on us by the time we were mobile, and it would be difficult to keep my newborn partner focused on the hunt; but she would also have a stronger sense of smell than me, allowing us to pick up the other vampire's trail where I might otherwise have missed it. Then there was the inevitable showdown. I might not be a match for Victoria alone, as previous encounters had proven, but with such fresh strength by my side...

_And I'm a better fighter than you_, she added.

I inhaled to laugh and nearly choked on rain for my trouble, _I didn't realize you were taking the time to judge while I was busy saving your life._

_Yeah, good job_, there was a sisterly snark to her thoughts, and then the faint memory of a gym and a padded floor and a coach shouting instructions. _But, seriously, you're a bit sloppy with your balance and some obvious missed shots. I've sparred competitively..._

_You haven't fought a vampire_, I interjected, _The strategy is different._

_You'll teach me_. It sounded more like a command than a request.

_Yes, of course._

_Victoria..._ Sophie played out our interactions so far, analyzing them and growing more and more angry as she did, _I've had enough of her. Whether you want my help or not, I've got a score to settle with that vampire._

Fury and vengeance were bubbling up in her, only heightening the sense of impatience at being paralyzed. I was just as eager for action, though, and her mood swing was leaking into me and making the whole situation more frustrating. A sudden flash of lightning caused us both to pause is our thoughts as they were erased by the blinding white out.

With excitement, Sophie thought, _Did I see that or did you?_

I waited for the crack of thunder to die out before I could think clearly, _I definitely saw it. Do you think your vision is starting to return, though? I'll close my eyes so you can look for the next one._

We didn't have to wait even a full minute before another bolt of electricity forked across the sky. I saw it clearly, even though my eyes were shut, which meant…

_I saw it!_ she gushed, _Were my...have my eyes been open this whole time?!_

Her elation made me smile involuntarily and I gave her another lesson, _Probably. You died with them open. Your body won't naturally blink anymore, but you'll have to remember to do it every once in a while around humans, otherwise it looks strange._

_And they'll change color, like yours?_ she guessed, _You've got so much to teach me._

I remembered her green eyes and mourned the loss of them. Everything soft, safe, and familiar about her appearance had been so...human. It was impossible, but I hoped that the transformation would leave her face exactly as it was in my memory. Equally full of curiosity and dread, I pulled myself upright and leaned over her, blocking the rain so that I could move my hand away from her nose. When the next flash of lightning illuminated the night, I saw her clearly for a moment and knew that the shocking image was already being passed on to her awareness like a glimpse in a mirror. The storm had washed off all the blood from her face, except where my hand had covered, and the venom had drained out the color from within it, leaving her skin smooth and deathly white. Her bright red eyes and lips were striking in contrast to the paleness that surrounded them; and with her hair darkened and slicked back by the rain, she was nearly unrecognizable as the girl I had been looking at for the past few days. And the change wasn't even complete yet. I used my wet hand to wipe away the old blood from around her mouth and nose, then I resumed our previous position.

She was unusually quiet for a few minutes, signifying that she had either cut me off from her thoughts or she was shutting herself down to avoid a panic attack.

Finally, her uncomfortable reaction leaked through, _I'm so scary now._

_We're predators_, I explained, _We become attractive to draw in prey. Only very sensitive people pick up on the danger, or those who know the truth. Did you think I was scary when you first saw me?_

She was clearly still upset, _Don't act like you don't know exactly what I was thinking._

_You thought I was beautiful_, I reminded her, _And that's all anyone else is going to see when they look at you too. Only Victoria will find you scary. And me, if you keep getting mad._

This put her emotions back in check and she floated out a feeble sense of apology. She continued to study the image of her face until she had forced herself to accept it. I busied myself with observing the thunder and lightning and reminiscing about baseball - anything to distract me from the pain - until she reached out with a hesitant question.

_Do we...have...reflections?_

_Oh, boy. I really do have a lot to teach you._

_Wait…_ she managed to force out just before a stab of pain rolled through my own torso and burned more intensely with each passing minute.

The restructuring was really doing a number on her stomach wound and the ferocity of the pain would have made even the most resilient human pass out. Since we couldn't, we just suffered dizzyingly for an amount of time that I had no recollection of. All I knew was that once the surge had faded down to a level that allowed us to think clearly again, it was daytime. At least it was _probably_ daytime behind those rain clouds. The world around us was still dark, wet, and gloomy.


	14. Chapter 14

Beneath my hand, I could feel her grinding her teeth in reaction to the pain, which was a good sign. She was regaining movement.

_My hands too_, she added.

I glanced over to see that her fists were squeezing and relaxing, _Can you move your legs?_

_A little._

_Both of them?_

She experimented for a moment, _Yeah._

I shared my sense of relief with her. So my trick of biting below the thigh wound had saved her from losing that leg. It had been a desperate move, but my wild logic had proved right: even with limited blood flow, a well-placed bite could distribute the venom directly where it needed to be. She had been unaware of my actions during that whole initial period of overwhelming pain, but as she saw it now through my recollection, she projected her gratitude.

If she was recovering control of her body, it was probably a good time to start instructing her about some of the new things she'd have to get used to. Still shaking from the fresh bout of torment, I forced myself to scoot closer and lifted her head to rest it on my outstretched arm at such an angle that the rain was no longer in danger of running into her nose. She managed with great effort to turn her head to the side so she could look up at me with those brilliant red eyes. There was an intensity in her gaze as it wandered over my face that told me she was already in full possession of her new faculties.

_Yeah_, I responded to her unformed thoughts, _You've got a whole new range of vision now. I can't really remember what human vision looks like, but I do remember being dizzy at first. You'll get used to it fast, though, and then movies and TV are going to look agonizingly slow, flat, and colorless._

_I can see the ripple in the water on your skin every time a new drop lands_, she marveled, _and there are completely new colors!_

_Wait until you see how the world looks in the dark._

Bewildered, she drew her eyebrows together, _And after spending all that money on lasik..._

I smiled and she worked her mouth into a grin also. Moments of levity like this sprinkled our lessons for the next few hours as I helped Sophie get used to her new senses of hearing and smell and coached her on how to breathe, blink, and fidget naturally to blend in with humans. I was careful not to think too clearly about any particular humans, lest the image of one stir up the craving for blood that was bound to awaken along with her other new senses at any moment. Already she was beginning to writhe again with each wave of pain, demonstrating the returning control of her larger muscles. It was a good time to deliver my lecture on controlling her increased strength and speed to keep from accidentally breaking things or moving unnaturally, which I promised we'd practice once she had a good feel for her movements.

_Can I heal like you did?_ she recalled my previous gruesome injuries.

_Well, yes…_ I hesitated to think more specifically about what that dramatic recovery had required.

She was already lifting her unsteady arms up to tug at the knot on the denim tourniquet around her waist. I was morbidly curious as well, and watched with interest until the soggy fabric fell away to reveal her perfectly smooth, white stomach. She ran her fingers over her skin in amazement.

_Not even a scar_, she noted, _and I didn't even need blood..._

Damn, there it was - a hunger pang so sharp, it rivaled the red-hot stab of the venom.

_You didn't need to take any the way I did_, I tried to distract her with my explanation, _because it was already all in you. When you can move, we'll hunt for something together to help with the hunger._

She moaned unhappily, picturing a deer and finding the thought of it completely unsatisfying.

_It'll fill you up_, I promised, _and give you enough energy to travel._

This complication only made the rest of our discomfort even more unbearable, and it was affecting Sophie's mood more drastically than any other change had. She was sharply aware of this fact and I could feel her admirable effort to keep her emotions in check.

_I've never felt a craving this strong_, she admitted, trying to lighten the mood by adding, _Other than walking by a Cinnabon._

I smiled for a moment, then warned sternly, _You have to learn to control or ignore it._

The thirst grew so overpowering, we both had to try shutting out the other to deal with it in our own ways. I hadn't felt such uncontrollable hunger since the first time I caught a facefull of Bella's unique scent. There was no way this newborn would know how to handle that kind of temptation. We needed to build up her tolerance to it; but in the meantime, I would have to force my practiced restraint into her, the way her hunger had forced its way into me.

Losing her battle with irritation, Sophie gradually worked herself up into an angry mantra that grew clearer into the evening, _Stop __lying around__, get up from this mud, get out of this storm, get after Victoria, get revenge, get blood…_

_We've still got a lot to do before we take on Victoria_, I lamented to myself, but of course nothing was only to myself anymore.

_Then we can't waste any more time,_ she set her face in a resolved expression and began lifting her head off my arm.

"No!" I cried out loud in surprise, _This process takes much longer. Your body isn't stable yet._

_It'll have to do,_ she grunted as she pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked down at the rest of her body, _I don't care if it hurts, everything should work by now. No more waiting._

She was already victim to the stubborn, disoriented state of mind of a newborn, and whatever happened, I couldn't leave her side while she was like that. It was easier for me to sit up, since I was technically in perfect physical condition – I was only feeling her pain, and if she could fight through it, so could I.

_What do babies have to do with it?_ she thought once she was sitting fully upright.

_Babies?_

_Newborns. You keep thinking about them._

I smiled and we locked eyes in the dim light, _Newborn vampire. Like you. They can be a bit crazy._

Now she smiled too and I was still struck nervous by the fierce spirit behind her new eyes. Sensing my unease, her smile faded, _Don't be nervous, Ed. It's still just me._

As she slowly worked her legs into a squatting position, she ran through her panic attack mental exercise, trying to assess which feelings were crazy so she could shut them down. There was an underlying fear that if she couldn't control this, I would leave her like the last guy had.

_I'm with you_, I assured her and did my best to sit still and project calm feelings.

Her mood lifted and she concentrated again on trying to make her body work. It was excruciating, since her cells were still only partially transformed and the movements were tearing at the parts that were still vulnerable. With a grunt and a final burst of effort, she was on her feet and I found myself looking up with the most unusual sense of intimidation, akin to the first time she had seen me stand up and her instincts finally registered the danger. My first full view of her new form was one I'd never forget.

She was standing stiffly, muscles clenched and visible wherever her body wasn't covered by the tattered, mud-soaked clothes that clung to her like soggy tissue. Even without the effect of sunlight, her skin was dazzlingly white, making the bright eyes stand out all the more in her determined expression. Her wet hair stuck in wild tendrils to her face and shoulders, decorated with a few random leaves and pine needles. Rosalie had always been the tallest girl I knew, but Sophie had a few inches on her, which gave her a positively statuesque appearance now. The effect of her transformation was both terrifying and stunning. She would be powerful and fast and dangerous. We just had to make sure those attributes were put to good use until the newborn phase wore off.

She grabbed my arm to help support herself as soon as I had struggled to my feet beside her, _Which way is __s__o__u__th?_

_This way_, I led her in the corresponding direction.

_Is that a vampire thing?_ _Will I develop a sense of direction?_

_No, it's a man thing_, I teased and she gave my arm a painfully strong squeeze as she let out a hoarse chuckle.

With her leaning heavily on me, we slowly began walking into the dark with a vague plan of finding the river and following it until we picked up on Victoria's trail. Sophie was groaning with every step, yet stubbornly pushing on as if her body simply had a cramp that she could walk off. Our progress was so slow, it was hardly worth the discomfort, but my companion seemed to need an activity to keep her mind occupied. She was no longer communicating with me; her thoughts were all focused on trying to weed out the irrational newborn inclinations and get used to her new senses from a mobile position.

Suddenly, her head snapped up to attention and her body tensed with concentration, _What's that smell?_

With the rain, it was very hard for me to pick out any unusual scents, but then I knew her sense of smell would be stronger than mine for a while, _I can't smell anything special yet. Is it making you hungry?_

_Kind of_, she started moving faster.

The jolt of every step was agony, but something drove her to jog up the slope until we both came to a stop in front of a familiar shredded tent. So she had smelled the traces of her human self from within the shelter. I was too used to her scent for it to stand out anymore, but I could tell she was shocked now.

"It was me," she said out loud, staring down at her old belongings now soaking in the rain.

I glanced at her and could see her face go through a few changes while many feelings flared up. For a minute, her thoughts were rushing too fast for comprehension.

_I really am something different now_, she eventually looked at me in distress, _The way I used to smell…__"_I'm so hungry…I would kill me now if my human self were here, smelling like that." _How did you not __eat__ me before?_

"It gets easier to resist," I promised, "The hardest is when you're a newborn."

_I'm so hungry_, she admitted again and I could see her maneuvering her jaw, unfamiliar with the venom sensation that accompanied human smells.

_Fight it_, I tried to encourage her with a hand on her shoulder.


	15. Chapter 15

She held stone still, running through her mental routine, and I slid my hand down her arm to link fingers supportively. I couldn't help but notice how cold and stiff her skin was now - a realization made all the more poignant because I was also staring at the same sleeping bag where I had so recently laid her out and bandaged her wounds and marveled at the fragility of humans. What terrible trials I had put her through. What terrible trials she still faced because of what I'd turned her into.

_You liked me more as a human_, she directed a thought to me, and not as a question.

"No," I squeezed her hand, speaking out loud for emphasis, "I got used to you as a human, but our bond would have had other complications that way. Now, we'll have a difficult period, but I'll get you through this newborn phase and then...we're going to be amazing, you and I."

My prediction filled her with hope and the first spark of optimism I'd detected in a while. Another feeling was still there, though.

_You're going to be violently hungry for a while_, I warned, _And I'm going to feel whatever you feel, so we're both in danger of going into a blood __frenzy__._

_Like Victoria? Is that what vampires are like in a blood __frenzy__?_

_Yes, like that. Like I was when I almost killed you too. It's dangerous, so we need to keep away from humans __and__ find an animal __as soon as possible__._

She imagined it, _That doesn't sound good at all, but I trust you. You have to help me. Keep me from being a crazy newborn._

I chuckled, _You're a little more powerful than I am right now, but I promise I'll try._

Kneeling down on the canvas, I reached through one of the tears in the tent wall and pulled out Sophie's backpack.

"You should change out of those ripped up, bloody clothes," I used my voice to help her focus, "In case we're spotted by someone, you want to look normal at first glance; and the smell of your fresh clothing will help you get used to humans. The sooner you can overcome that smell, the sooner we'll be safe. Might as well bring another outfit too in case you need to change again after we find you an animal. It can be messy."

She took the bag, _I didn't really pack that many clothes - and don't think I haven't noticed that you're wearing my other shirt, which is now ruined too - but I guess even pajamas are better than what's left of this tank top and the hot pants that used to be my jeans._

_Hey, I had to improvise_, I smirked and watched as she untied the second pant leg from around her thigh.

It dropped away and revealed that the crippling injury beneath had also been completely healed. We both nodded in approval, then she reached into her backpack and pulled out a light jacket, handing it to me.

_I don't have an extra outfit for you, but this will at least cover up that shirt._

I passed along my wordless thanks, and turned away to don the jacket while she changed into her pajamas. Along with every stab of pain from her movements, I could feel the nostalgia and regret and fear rise as she discarded the tattered remains of the clothes she'd died in and changed into something more comfortable, old, and saturated with hunger-inducing aroma. When she projected a sense of readiness, I turned back around and immediately tried to hide my disapproving reaction. There was really no way to hide anything from her, though.

_What?_ she fixed me with an offended frown, _This is what I sleep in. I don't really have other options right now._

From what I'd seen in our very limited time together, Sophie's clothes were very utilitarian, evidenced by the fact that I was wearing some of them now without any fit issues. But vampires had good physiques, and they almost always flaunted that by wearing flattering clothing, especially the females. I had certainly never seen one in baggy flannel pants and a comically oversized Star Wars t-shirt, all soggy and weighed down in the rain. There was probably some Volturi law against it, in fact.

The thought of it had me laughing out loud, which brought a smile to Sophie's face as well, though I could tell she didn't fully understand.

"My sisters are going to do a number on you," I mumbled through my grin.

"As long as I get my high-collared cape upon initiation," she returned and we both had a good laugh.

For a moment, it felt like we were back to normal, miles away from challenges and tragedy and pain. This was the potential of the effect we could have on each other, a glimpse of the team we were going to be. It really was possible for us to make it through this newborn phase together, if we helped each other stay focused and calm. Unfortunately, the levity was interrupted by a dizzying wave of hunger after Sophie inhaled too much of the human scent from her clothes.

She gripped at her stomach and stared down at the chaotic campsite, _Someone's going to be looking for me soon. They're going to find this._

_We'll worry about a cover story later, _I promised, _But for now __t__ry not to think of your family, or any humans, for a while._

She nodded and cleared her mind of all but the overwhelming nag of hunger, _We should look for an animal, I guess. __But I lost my gun and I'm out of ammo, anyway._

_Don't worry, __I'll show you how to hunt with your han__ds and teeth__._

_It hurts to move, Ed. I don't think I can be a predator just yet._

_Do you want to lie down until the transformation is completely done and the pain is gone?_ I suggested, hoping that she would agree, if only for the sake of comfort.

"No," she growled, catching us both by surprise with a flare of anger, _We keep moving. Closer to Victoria and revenge. We'll find an animal on the way._

I nodded and tried to steady myself against the frantic energy she was projecting. Still, despite her fury, we could barely move our bodies at more than a walking pace. After some length of painful silence, I felt her anger exhaust itself and she let out an audible sigh.

"I'm sorry," she groaned, "I've never been hangry before."

"You're doing great," I encouraged and tried to make it believable through my thoughts as well.

_Thanks to you_, she acknowledged, then after a long while surprised me with a random question, _Since you turned me, do you, like, own me now?_

"No, nothing like that," I laughed, _But I am somewhat responsible for you for a while._

_Who turned yo-?_ she started but then shook her head and burst out loud, "I'm sorry, that's probably a really personal question. I'm clearly not ready for polite vampire society yet."

"That's why you've got me," I reassured her, _And you can ask me anything. Or I'm sure you could just pop in to my head and find out the answer anyway._

_I wouldn't-_

_It's fine. The vampire who turned me is like a father to me, and I do want you to know about my family. Once we take care of Victoria, I'll bring you back with me to hide out until your disappearance blows over and you decide what you want to do. You can be part of our coven, I'm sure, if that's what you choose._

_Ok, so tell me about them._

Starting with Carlisle and the circumstances of my own transformation, I gave her a brief introduction to each member of my family, telling her just enough about their human and vampire lives to give her a sense of who they were, but nothing so personal that I thought any of them might want to keep it private. Besides, when they met her, it would be nice if they still had part of their story that they could tell her themselves. The beginning of this new life was the scariest part, and I could tell it was comforting for her to hear about others that had gone through the same challenges.

Over the course of this conversation, we had found the river and followed along the bank, looking and smelling for any sign that Victoria had dragged herself ashore or for any animal that might make for a good snack. I worried that the thunderstorm had driven them all into hiding, but the rain had stopped while we were walking, so I hoped we'd cross paths with some creature soon. The transformation pain was also gradually fading with each hour, and, now that it hurt less to test her physical abilities, I was able to mix occasional strength or jumping lessons in along with my stories about vampire life. She demonstrated a knack for speed, but we couldn't really hurry along our hunt or we'd risk missing the signs we were looking for.

The darkness of night had just swallowed the last light of evening when we caught our first whiff of a warm-blooded creature. Sophie crinkled her nose when I identified the particular smell as that belonging to a skunk.

_Not worth the trouble for a bite_, I thought, _believe me. We'll find something bigger._

Frustration flared up in my companion and she stopped moving for a second to get a handle on it. As we waited, I glanced up through the tree tops and saw that the clouds were finally clearing to reveal a patch of starry sky. Looking at the stars always calmed me down when I needed it, and this would be the first time Sophie would be able to see them with her new vision.

"Hey," I got her attention and pointed up, "Have a look."

She gave me a questioning eyebrow before lifting her face and freezing as the sense of awe washed away all the previous annoyance. Her mouth fell open in an astonished expression and her mind was marveling over every new detail that she was able to see in the night sky. It was moments like these that made me treasure our connection and remember why I'd fought so hard not to lose her. The joy was contagious and I found myself smiling, even though I wasn't even looking at the stars. Rather, I was struck by how young she suddenly looked, standing there in her ill-fitting pajamas with her hair starting to curl as it dried. She only caught the last part of my thought and turned her pouty gaze upon me, projecting very clearly the image of my own wild hair.

_If you need a trim, I know how to cut boys' hair._

I smoothed it back self-consciously, _I can't get it cut. What if longer hair comes back into style? It's not going to grow back, you know._

_Oh, good to know_, she frowned, _One length for eternity, huh? Ugh. Stars!_

She forced herself to look back at the sky to help combat the new swell of irritation. Her moods were getting more volatile, and only blood would provide any relief. I took a long sniff, hoping to detect anything beyond the skunk that might be lurking in the woods, but there didn't seem to be anything bigger. Was skunk better than nothing at this point? Wanting to be helpful, Sophie took a deep breath of her own and it hitched in her throat as her instinct recognized what it had been looking for before she even realized what that was.

_Yes!_ she thought in an inner voice that did not sound like her own and was already running before I could even move.

"Wait!" I called out loud and through every ounce of the mind space that we shared as I chased after her.


	16. Chapter 16

We crossed a significant distance before I was finally able to smell what she had picked up from so far back. Mostly my senses registered the scent of campfire and marijuana, though mixed in there somewhere was human odor. It wasn't even a particularly appetizing human, but to the newborn, it was like a feast set before a starving person. She was completely under the influence of the blood frenzy and probably couldn't even hear me in her head anymore. Our connection threatened to drag me into the frenzy with her if I didn't get her to stop in the next few moments before we reached the campsite, but she was impossibly fast and I didn't stand a chance.

She broke into the small clearing and got control of herself just enough to pause for a moment as she stepped into the circle of light around the campfire. I was still too far behind to stop her, and in that moment of hesitation, I could see the scene through her eyes. There were two humans, a boy and a girl, probably in their late teens, staring up at her in surprise from where they sat smoking in their folding chairs. In an instant, she lunged at the girl, knocking her and the chair backwards out of the circle of firelight.

I was too late. It took all my willpower to stop at the edge of the clearing and clamp my arms around a tree trunk to anchor myself in place as the height of Sophie's blood frenzy overtook me. The human girl screamed wildly for a few seconds until her voice gurgled to a stop and I recognized the euphoric sensation of a hearty drink of blood after a long fast. My hold on the tree was the only thing keeping me from rushing over to experience the taste that accompanied that satisfied feeling. The boy had jumped up now and was cursing and fumbling about wildly, trying to commit to either helping his girlfriend or saving himself. Finally he took off running into the woods, and I fought the urge to hunt him down. It was always more tempting when they ran! Why wasn't I chasing him? I could already feel the appeasing effects of a good meal, so why was I holding on to this tree? There must have been a good reason, so I kept holding on and basking in the fullness. Gradually a few pinpricks of doubt jabbed into my happy bubble before bursting it completely and letting reality crash down on me and, I was sure, on Sophie too. The blood frenzy was over - the hunger alleviated. In its place was a crushing horror and regret that I knew so well.

I finally hurried over to the scene of the attack and found my friend curled into a fetal position on the ground with her back to the remains of her victim. She was covering her mouth with both her hands and her eyes were scrunched up like she was trying to cry.

"I'm here," I dropped to my knees beside her and rubbed her back soothingly, "Don't throw up, whatever you do. You need that blood, so don't let it go to waste."

She nodded in understanding and took a deep breath, trembling through her entire body as she let it out in an agonized moan. Her thoughts were in turmoil, her emotions suffocating, but beneath it all, the hunger was gone. I couldn't shut any of it out, but it was something I had been through many times, myself, so I knew how to navigate this cycle of thirst and guilt.

"Stars," I instructed, even as my voice shook slightly, "I'll give you a minute to get this under control while I take care of the evidence."

Without answering, she turned her face skyward to focus on the peaceful stars and I could feel her effort to draw herself out of the panic and into an emotional dead zone, as she'd done before. Meanwhile, I tried to remain logical and pragmatic, mentally explaining things as I worked.

_There are strict rules that keep us from being discovered. If we feed on humans, we cannot leave traces of it_, I opened the tent and pulled out two backpacks, tossing them out onto the ground, then I dragged the dead girl's body into the tent and zipped it back up. For the finishing touch, I pulled one of the sticks out of the fire and positioned the flaming end next to the corner of the tent.

Some of the victim's blood was smeared on my hand now and I brought it up for an experimental taste, _Huh. Cannabis wasn't the only intoxicant in this one's system. It might actually calm you down a bit, Sophie._

When I finally knelt down beside her again, she had sat up and was staring at the burning tent with hollow red eyes. I moved my gaze away from her quickly, lest she catch a glimpse of herself in my mind, looking cold and vacant and smeared with blood like some kind of horror movie cliche. She seemed to be holding back her emotions in a dead zone now, away from my detection.

"You shouldn't have saved me," she mumbled, _Make it right. Pull up one of the tent stakes...or does it need to be wood or silver or something?_

"That's not how you kill a vampire," I said softly and pulled her into a hug, "And I don't regret saving you."

_But why?_ she buried her face in my shoulder and clenched on tightly to the back of my shirt, _I was worthless as a human and now I'm just dangerous._

"I saved you because you're part of me, and we need each other. And I could tell that you were meant to be so much more than what you were."

"But now I'm a _monster_," she said through clenched teeth and leaned back to look me earnestly in the eyes, "It barely took me a moment to tell which one of them would taste better. I killed a person. And I _ate_ her."

"We've all got a monster in us, but the monster is _not_ us - not if you get stronger than it. But we've all had our weak moments. We've all given in to our hunger at least once."

_Not you_, she seemed to plead, _You eat animals. You _protect_ humans. You protected me and you're protecting Bella._

"I told you when we first met that I wasn't an angel," I warned and rested my forehead against hers, closing my eyes and running through the memories of a handful of kills I'd made in my younger years, _I know how it feels to lose to the monster, but I also know how to live a life trying to make up for it. We can do this together, just like everything else._

Before my eyes were open, I could feel her heart break at the confession I had just shown her. She must really have thought highly of me.

_How can I possibly make up for this?_

"For one, you've got more potential than anyone in my family because of your age. Most of us are stuck looking like perpetual school-age kids. We can't have a career and we have to start over every few years because it gets obvious pretty fast that we're not aging. But you, you're in a range where you could go to college, grad school, med school, and have a decade long career before anyone would start to question your age. Think of your strength, your invulnerability, your heightened senses and how effective you could be as a firefighter or a cop or a detective or a soldier. Think of how many people you could save, how many actual murderers you could stop."

She nodded blankly, _I guess you're right. But I'll never forgive myself for this one._

_It's hard being a newborn_, I acknowledged, _but your guilt will be your strength now. You won't easily give in to hungry instinct again._

Our attention was drawn to the bonfire that used to be a tent as it snapped and collapsed.

"There was another," she suddenly said, _A boy. He ran._ "Did you stop him, Ed?" _The rules you mentioned about evidence - I'm sure that includes witnesses._

"He ran off, but he didn't understand what he saw." _I can read everyone's minds, remember?_ "Besides, he was too high. Nobody will believe his story anyway."

I hoped I was right, because the actual reason I had let him go was that I just hadn't felt like murdering another person when I didn't really need to eat. At least Sophie would be satisfied for a while now too, and we could really focus on the hunt for Victoria. The thought of her getting away from us and back to Bella or my family was enough to make me nervous.

Recognizing the flavor of my thoughts, my companion pulled me back into a hug, her inner voice more determined this time, _I'm sorry for all this. We're going to protect them. I won't let you down again._

I nodded into her hair, _And I'm sorry I couldn't stop you. Don't let this make you give up on yourself._

"Just keep me distracted until I can deal with it," she breathed, "Let's hunt."

"We have to change again first," I pulled out of the hug and stood, reaching for her hand to lift her to her feet beside me, _After we clean up. Grab a backpack and let's head back to the river._

We each picked up one of the packs I had salvaged from the tent and walked back through the forest toward the smell of water. Wading into the shallows of the riverbank, we washed the blood from our hands and faces, then discarded the soiled clothes and changed into the outfits we pulled out of the stolen bags. The teens had been much shorter than us, so both of us ended up in quite ill-fitting garments, but it was still better than pajamas. We kept the backpacks because they contained a few more clothing items that we might - but hopefully wouldn't - need in the event of another mess.

Victoria must have been carried down quite a distance before making her way ashore, and the severity of some of the waterfalls and rapids certainly hadn't allowed her any chance to heal during her journey. I desperately hoped that we would come across her while she was still weak, so that the fight would be over quickly and no more humans would be in danger from her. It was true that humans would always be in danger as long as our kind existed, and I didn't feel compelled to protect any except the ones I took a liking to. With Sophie at my side, I knew that we'd have no trouble with the other vampire before she made any moves against Bella; but there were a lot of innocent people between us and Washington, and Victoria was bound to take a meal or two on the way if we didn't stop her here. I didn't want the weight of that to rest on us any more than my companion's kill already did. Sophie was supposed to be my responsibility since the moment I'd decided to protect her on that mountain top, and I couldn't help but feel that I'd failed her. She had thought I was an angel, but now I'd shown her that I was a murderer and turned her into one too.


	17. Chapter 17

For hours she was silent and methodical in her movements, whether from the intoxicated blood she had drunk or her own desire to sort things out privately. Her thoughts were mere whispers in my head as she did her best to shield them from me.

"How _do_ you kill a vampire?" she suddenly asked out loud.

"Um," I was caught a bit off-guard, "Well, you've almost seen it a couple times…"

I conjured up the memory of the fight with Victoria after the mountain lion incident and the final encounter by the river gorge. _You have to completely remove the head - best to remove the limbs as well - and then burn the pieces._ For a moment, I caught a twist of disappointment that I recognized all too well. _No, you can't do it to yourself. Pretty much only a vampire can kill another vampire._

_Just…_ her thought came to me through the darkness, _If I get too out of control again, will you do it? It's better than me hurting more people._

_Focus on Victoria for now_, I instructed.

We both paused to take deep breaths and, while mine was overwhelmed by the smell of the river and trees and distant animals, there was an emotional jolt from Sophie. She immediately grabbed my arm painfully tight and turned to me with desperation in her bright red eyes.

"Edward, do not let me go."

"What is it?" I stepped in front of her, just in case.

_Blood_, she was terrified to find that, even when full, the smell of it was still appetizing to her, _Someone's blood._

Unfortunately it was in her newborn range of detection because I couldn't smell anything of the sort.

"You're doing well," I encouraged, "We're both still here and you're resisting. Now is it a human or just their blood?"

She took another breath, _Mostly the blood, I think. No people._

Well, we weren't the only predators in these woods and it was the middle of the night - hunting time. We would have to investigate the scene for clues to matter what, but at least spilled blood was easier to keep your head around than a live human.

_You'll be alright_, I moved out of her way, _Take us to it._

Her hesitation about causing another incident made her hold back on her speed, but she was still fast enough that I had to actually make an effort to keep up. It interested me to note that we continued to follow the river as we closed in, until I could finally smell it too. When we arrived at the spot where the smell was strongest, we were surprised to find no body. Even for our sensitive eyes it was hard to see the splatters of blood against the dark river rocks along the shore, but that was all the evidence left. I could feel my friend's nervousness about losing control again, but she seemed to be putting the guilt and stubborn mood flares to use against her more animal instincts and was strong-arming her thirst into submission.

She squatted down on the riverbank and lifted a rock to her face, first sniffing it, then tasting it tentatively with her tongue, "The blood isn't very fresh."

"Look," I said when I noticed a fishing rod and tackle box lying discarded behind a boulder, like they had been knocked off the top of it.

She was still staring at the ground, but saw the new discovery through my eyes and together our minds assembled the image of a man sitting on the shore fishing sometime the previous day. What had killed him and what had it done with the body? I had my suspicion, but the spilled blood was too pungent, so I took several steps into the woods and inhaled again. There it was - Victoria's scent.

Sophie was at my side in a moment, _What does she smell like?_

_Tune out the blood and everything else about the environment. Vampires each have unique scents, like humans, but a little more...pleasant, and less like food_, I lifted my wrist to her nose, _There's something distinct about the venom that makes our scent easy to pick out._

She sniffed at my skin and immediately identified the variant, _Right, I see. A little sweet. I guess I was already used to your smell and didn't notice that part._

Stepping away from me, she took a few deep breaths, already moving naturally in a certain direction.

"Have you got it?" I trailed after her.

"I've got her scent," Sophie looked back at me and I could feel all the emotions bubbling up from her - impatience, revenge, anger, excitement. _She has a head start, but this is where we catch up._

_Your nose is stronger_, I nodded, _Lead the way._

We moved quickly now, following the faint trail of Victoria's scent as it led deeper into the woods and skirted widely around the nearest town. I found it interesting that she was still headed south. Was she really more desperate to get away from me than she was to take out her revenge on Bella and my family? No, I had seen her mind and there was no lack of murderous intention there. Perhaps she was just leading me away from them first, and I was falling right into the trap by following her. Well, she hadn't anticipated a newborn joining the hunt, and that would be her fatal mistake.

_I'll take her out_, Sophie added, eavesdropping on my thoughts, _She killed me and she killed that fisherman...but I killed that camper. I'm just as bad as she is._

_It's not even comparable_, I thought back, _Every vampire has killed. It's nature, it's how our species survives. Victoria and her mate hunted for sport and tried to kill the girl I love just for the enjoyment of it. You are nothing like her._

It was quiet for a long while as we ran, until she mused unhappily, _Maybe I was wrong. Maybe not every vampire has a soul._

I was stung and I knew she felt it, _Because we kill?_

There was a pained reaction to my use of the word "we," but she worked out a measured answer anyway, _Because some kill without guilt._

_You didn't_, I pointed out and tried not to think about all my own victims I had shown her.

_I wonder if I'll feel anything when we kill Victoria_, this thought was quiet, like she wasn't actually directing it toward me, _Will that be the one that makes me as bad as her? Is vengeance more justified than hunger?_

This train of thought led into a daydream about how things might go down when we finally caught up with our enemy. Sophie carefully crafted mine and Victoria's movements and decisions based on what she had witnessed in the previous encounters, but this time inserted herself into the action and plotted out a few ways we could work together to take down the other vampire. I found that the daydream could occupy our shared mental space, which allowed me to manipulate it equally and give it more realism, thanks to what I knew about Victoria's methods. With each new scenario, we would play out our own imaginary moves until one of us had control of her head and the other took off her arms. It was a fascinating exercise to pass the time as we rushed through the woods, and it showed me just how well we could coordinate our actions to work as a deadly efficient team. I also noted that, at least in her mind, she hadn't been lying about her fighting skills and seemed to fall naturally into a style that favored defense but she would also strike out effectively when she saw the opportunity.

Running through these mental drills helped to distract both of us as our path veered closer into occupied territory in the morning. Every sniff of Victoria's scent brought with it the promise of a nearby human, but Sophie was so pumped up by all the imaginary fighting that she was able to, with some effort, ignore the temptation and stay on course. I could tell we were both relieved that it had gotten any easier at all, but I knew that would only last so long. The newborn phase was a constantly hungry one, even with regular feeding.

_I know what to expect now_, she protested with new confidence, _And I won't let it happen again. I've always been able to ignore my appetite before and I'll do it in this life too._

_Maybe you can ignore it, but I'll be feeling it too and it's going to drive me crazy_, I groaned, _Let's practice hunting, so you'll be ready to grab a snack._

I played out an ideal deer hunt for her, complete with instructional commentary, then I controlled the imaginary animal's actions while she practiced proper approach, termination, and clean eating techniques. The drills had the unfortunate side effect of making both of us hungry, so it was a good thing Victoria's trail had cut away from the populated area and was aiming toward the coast.

_She'll probably be at full strength again after that fisherman_, Sophie noted, _And so am I. Do you need to eat, Ed?_

My injuries had long healed and my energy level felt sufficient, so I reminded her guiltily, _I'm sure you haven't forgotten that _you_ were my meal a few days ago. I'll be good for a week, at least._

_Oh, right_, she understood the guilt more personally now and compounded it in herself by acknowledging that I had restrained my murderous instincts during a blood frenzy and she had not.

The pendulum of her volatile mood was swinging again, and she admitted as much with an irritated head shake and wordless apology. I mustered up some encouragement for her, rather than letting her shut me out to deal with it herself this time.

_You've been fighting against your own emotions since long before I met you_, I recognized, thinking back to her confession in the tent, _Maybe your boyfriend couldn't do anything about it and maybe you believed that no one ever could, but now I'm in there with you. The challenge is already halfway mine, so let me help. You're not in this battle alone anymore._

I knew how it felt to deal with my own distress in solitude, and how I wished she had been around to balance me then. With our connection, every joy could be doubled and every heartbreak halved. Sure, for the first year, I'd be the one trying a little harder to keep her in check; but with my help, she'd get control over her newborn instability faster than any vampire ever had. And I knew without a doubt that the one thing keeping me from pining uselessly over Bella was Sophie's resistance to feeling love. That was a fresh suffering that she alone was working to spare us both from. For the first time in our lives, we each felt the comfort and assurance that someone else truly understood us and had the ability to offer exactly the right kind of support.


	18. Chapter 18

It would have been nice to have this level of control over some of the other newborns I had dealt with. To pass the time and help Sophie feel less bad about her condition, I recalled the specific difficulties Carlisle and I had encountered after the transformations of Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. We had struggled helplessly to guide them through the mood swings and hunger pains, but ultimately they had been on their own until time had worn away their symptoms. Emmett, especially, had been a handful.

Although I was following her and could only see the back of Sophie's head as we ran, I could feel her smile as I relayed the stories. There was a sense of longing for these people that we shared. She was eager to meet them and maybe I was a little homesick. Whatever it was, it spurred us on to get this mission over with as quickly as possible. Whenever it smelled like we were far enough away from people that there was no risk of being spotted through the trees, we would pick up our pace to an inhuman speed. Every once in a while, it would occur to my companion how powerful she was and how limitless her stamina and she would get a thrill of excitement.

By the end of the day, we found ourselves in a forest of giant redwoods near enough to the coast that we could smell the salty air. Over the course of the night and the next day, we worked our way even further down the state until the redwoods started to thin out. The scent we were following grew more defined, which meant we were gaining on our quarry. We stopped only once to address the burning return of Sophie's thirst by hunting down a deer, which she found filling but entirely unsatisfying. Welcome to my life. I shared in the meal to keep my strength up, and once we were cleaned off, the pursuit resumed.

Our next stop came when the forest ended and the coastline turned into rolling hills and jagged cliffs butting up against stretches of sunny beach. I had us hold back under the cover of the last bit of foliage, while I scanned with my nose and mind to see if there was anyone close enough to get a good look at us. How in the world had Victoria moved across the open space without drawing attention to herself?

"As long as we move at a normal speed, nobody will think twice if they see us, right?" Sophie asked, trying out her voice again for the first time in days.

"You have no idea what you even look like, do you?" I responded in kind.

"I know I've got red eyes," she shrugged.

At least for the moment nobody was near enough to witness the experiment, so I nodded toward the edge of the tree's shade, "Go ahead, step out there and face me, then look through my vision."

She frowned nervously as she inched into the sunlight, worried that she might actually look like some kind of movie vampire monster and I just hadn't told or shown her yet. To the contrary, this girl who had been a pretty human had grown into her vampire looks to become devastatingly beautiful. The strange fit of the stolen clothes only accentuated how tall and feminine her figure was; and her hair, which had lost its frizzy curls from the rainy environment, now fell in wild golden waves that looked positively Californian, for some reason. Her facial features had, like all those who transformed, become more perfected and defined, though I had to admit I missed her green eyes. She didn't notice any of what I was seeing, however, because she was too distracted by the sparkle of her own pale skin once she had stepped into the direct sunlight. She had gotten used to seeing my skin that way in the first couple days of our meeting, and then forgot that the sun would have the same effect on her now.

"That's why we live in rainy states," I remarked.

"Oh yeah, we'd get noticed for sure," she was mesmerized by the glittering light as she rotated her arm in front of her face. _Maybe there are some more covering clothes or hats in these backpacks?_

_Let's hope so, because that's the only way we're following Victoria across this next part._

We ended up utilizing the rest of the useful items in the backpacks and discarded them in some bushes. It took a bit of modifying and layering; and, were it not for the lingering guilt of where the clothes had come from, the resulting ensembles would have been amusing. Before long we were setting out across the beach, sparkle-free. To our relief, evening brought a layer of fog up over the coastline that lasted through the night and allowed us to strip back down to our more casual outfits. We started encountering more and more coastal towns as we moved further south, but luckily not many people were out at night. Still, the close proximity of so many humans had inevitable consequences. The murmur of strangers' voices in my head was distracting, especially when we discovered that, through me, Sophie could hear them too. For her part, she did an admirable job of ignoring the hunger that accompanied the smell of all the tempting new meals, though the effort was making her irritable.

By the light of early morning, we had reached an uninhabited stretch of coastline and were tempted to take advantage of the fog cover and increase our speed. We took simultaneous breaths to confirm that we were still on the right track, but Sophie immediately reacted to something I couldn't detect.

_Vampires_, she determined with a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

I caught her use of the plural and raised an eyebrow. There weren't any that I knew of in this part of the world but if Victoria had picked up an ally, this could be more of a challenge than we had planned.

_Not her_, Sophie corrected my assumption, _They're behind us_.

_We keep moving_, I instructed, _We have our own business to worry ab..._

That was the moment when they entered a range that my powers could pick up and a quick sniff confirmed what I'd already gleaned from their minds: Volturi. Wonderful.

_Let me handle this_, I thought quickly, _These are like the vampire cops, so I'm sure they just have a few questions._

But I didn't have time to explain any more before the forms of our visitors glided rapidly into view through the mist like shadows on the wind. There were two of them, a man and a woman, both with dark hair and slim, serene faces, but with the confidence and determination in their burgundy eyes that all Volturi guard members seemed to wear.

_You've got to be kidding me_, Sophie thought with an internal chuckle when she saw the long dark cloaks the newcomers were clad in, _I was only joking about the black capes._

I fought the urge to smirk, _Just don't say it out loud._

As they approached, I searched my memory for any information to match up to their familiar faces. The woman, though carrying herself with authority, was less than imposing in stature and had an almost motherly face. I vaguely recalled her name as Carmen, but knew very little about her beyond that. She likely had some kind of power to secure a place in the guard, but I had no idea what it was. The man, who Sophie was particularly sizing up due to the fact that he was taller than both of us, was Demetri.

_So that's how they found us_, I thought quickly, _He's a tracker._

"Cullen, isn't it? Edward," Demetri said, looking me up and down as the pair stopped in front of us, "The telepath from the Olympic coven." _Usually not trouble-makers._

"Yes, that's me," I answered.

"You're new," Carmen tilted her head as her eyes drifted to Sophie. _A newborn, as we suspected. Definitely fits the description._

With a quick movement, Demetri stepped up uncomfortably close to my friend and sniffed at her neck. Sophie looked at me in alarm, but I projected back a sense of patience. _Just go with it._

"One of yours," he finally turned his head to fix me with a sly look,_ Not bad, not bad_, "She still smells like you."

"Yes, she's mine."

Sophie glared, _You said that's not how it worked_.

_Not officially_, I tried not to let my impatience show on my face, _Just trust me and go with it for now!_

He walked casually around her, and I saw her tense uncomfortably as he passed out of her line of sight; but from the way her eyes unfocused, I could tell she was still watching him from my vision instead.

"I'm surprised," he spoke, "Usually you Cullens are far more responsible...or have you forgotten how to feed properly? Three disappearances within the same national park over a few days. And then you let your newborn kill in front of a witness and now there are stories in papers..."

I pulled the headlines from his mind and tried to plead our case, "Stories nobody will believe printed in a small-town paper. It's a recoverable error and it won't happen again."

"Really, Edward," he clicked his tongue disapprovingly, "that's just sloppy. You ought to know better. You're just not very good at controlling your spawn. Even though it is your first, I'm afraid we can't show you lenience. She'll have to be destroyed and you will come with us. Aro will want to have words with you, I'm sure."

Sophie and I experienced a spike of mutual panic and the next thing I knew, I had jumped between her and Demetri, so our backs were pressed together and we shared a 360 view of both vampires and our foggy surroundings.

_Can I fight them?_ she brought up her hands into a defensive position.

I was still hoping to talk my way out of this, _You could probably put up a good fight, but you couldn't win this one, even with my help. These are elite enforcers._

The two guards began to pace a slow circle around us, each entertaining thoughts of a fight and how regrettable it would be to have to kill me in particular.

"Insolent," Demetri bit out in disgust, "You are only choosing a more difficult path to the same outcome."

_My turn_, Carmen paused in front of me and we locked eyes as she spoke in a calm tone, as though I were a child, "Come now, Edward. We are only helping you clean up your mistake. You know the laws must be followed for good reason. We don't want any trouble coming to your coven."

It made sense. In fact, it even sounded like a pretty good idea, but there was still some small part of me that was unsatisfied. I was sure they could help me take care of whatever it was after justice was served, though.

_Hey!_ Sophie's voice invaded my thoughts and I felt the jab of her elbow in my back.

_Persuasion, that's her gift_, I managed to think in that moment of clarity before Carmen started speaking to me again.

"Come with me to the airplane and let Demetri worry about the work here."

_Wait!_ I had already taken a step before Sophie's sense of urgency gave me hesitation.

"Wait," I echoed out loud, slowly reassembling the situation in my mind with the help of my partner's desperate focus, "We're hunting a rogue vampire. It's a personal matter, but it's in the best interest of the law that we take her out. I need this one's help to finish the job."

"The nomad," Demetri acknowledged, "I'm aware of her trail guiding yours, but nomads are of no concern to us. They cover their tracks well, unlike you two."

"If we don't stop her," I argued, "humans valuable to my coven will be targeted, and the conflict will be violent and visible. If the Volturi won't intervene against the nomad, then let us take care of her to spare you from having to clean up an even worse situation."

"There's no need for such a situation," Carmen said, easing my mind, "Your coven can replace the humans. You will do far more valuable work with the Volturi than you can by chasing down nomads."

I wanted to do valuable work - that sounded like a great idea! I took another step forward. Behind me, Sophie growled out loud and tried to stay back-to-back with me even as I moved away. I could hear her yelling at me in my head and feel the seething rage boiling up in her, but my brain only acknowledged these things and did not want me to react to them. Somewhere in her vision, Demetri was approaching her with a victorious smirk.


	19. Chapter 19

"Come along," Carmen said encouragingly and reached a hand around to my back to pull me towards her.

For a moment, I lost physical contact with Sophie and, in that moment, I glimpsed a vision of the future that was about to play out. I saw Demetri pull Sophie's head from her shoulders; I saw myself being presented before the Volturi and a black cloak being placed around my shoulders; I saw Victoria returning to Forks and killing a completely unprotected Bella; I saw my family retaliate, facing off with her in a violent spectacle that would bring the wrath of the Volturi down on them. It was enough to make the spell on me flicker, but I wasn't the only one who saw the vision and it was the trigger that finally sent Sophie over the edge.

I heard her primal yell of rage and turned, startled, but Carmen spun with me, positioning herself between me and my friend. Sophie launched herself at the other woman, but I watched wide-eyed as Demetri moved like a blur to intercept the attack and tackle the girl onto the sand.

I wanted to step in and help, but a steady hand against my chest and a calming voice held me rooted to the spot, "Newborns can be a bit of a handful. Let us handle it for you."

I nodded, still not entirely convinced, but I wanted to believe those kind eyes of hers. Over the top of her head, I could see that Sophie was not going down easily. She had kicked Demetri away and regained her feet. Everything from her thoughts to her mood to her posture had been consumed by some kind of battle craze, just as overwhelming as a blood frenzy.

"Nothing left for you to worry about," Carmen continued, pushing gently against my chest, "Let's go to the airplane and settle in."

Despite myself, I began to take steps backwards while the guard kept right up against me. Though it didn't alarm me like it should have, I could feel her hand snaking up toward my neck. I was still distracted by the fight unfolding behind her. Demetri was fast, but Sophie was faster; his moves precise, but hers passionate. I watched in awe through the sprays of sand as my friend dodged, blocked, or forced herself out of every hold the guard tried to trap her in. She landed quite a few strikes on him, but he always bounced back immediately. The only thing she didn't seem aware of was how to use her teeth in this fight. I was rooting for her and I wanted to call out or even join her, if I could, but it seemed that the best I could do was to stop walking backwards and anchor my feet in place while I watched from the sidelines. Even as a savage arm maneuver from the taller vampire slammed Sophie into the ground, I couldn't muster up the control to run to her aid. Her leg lashed out and both of them went down into a blur of sand and tumbling limbs.

Vaguely I registered a hand closing over my neck and fingers digging in for a firm hold. I glanced down at Carmen who held my gaze and emphasized every word, "Keep moving, Edward."

The force of her voice and eyes nearly had me forgetting where I was or what I was doing, but then a more familiar voice broke in with a scream.

"Let him go!"

I looked back up and felt a gut punch of relief before my hazy brain even fully remembered what was going on. Demetri was sprawled on his stomach with Sophie perched over him, his right arm pinned under her foot, his left arm hooked through her elbow and being bent backward at a painful angle, and his neck trapped in the crook of her other elbow. She was looking over at my situation with a fierce focus in her eyes that suggested the battle craze had successfully run its course. I think I must have smiled, because Carmen, who was still looking at me, tilted her head and turned around to finally realize what had happened. Her grip on my neck tightened as her hold on my mind grew less secure.

The two females locked eyes for a tense moment as Carmen weighed her options, but it was Sophie who spoke first, "If you so much as hurt him, I'm taking your partner's head off and coming for yours next."

"Foolish child," Demetri grunted with difficulty through her choke hold, "Even if you manage to kill us-"

Cutting him off, Sophie leaned forward and slammed his head into the sand, then jerked it backwards again at an even more severe angle, growling, "I can manage."

He groaned a little, some kind of sadistic smile flitting across his mouth like he was enjoying this, and corrected himself, "Even if you kill us, the full vengeance of the Volturi will come down on you, him, and the entire Olympic coven. No one will be spared."

_Would they really do that? _Sophie looked to me.

I nodded grimly,_ They absolutely would._

_There's got to be a way out of this, _she frowned and fixed me with a frustrated look,_ Why won't they let you keep following Victoria?_

_Their leader, Aro, he's always wanted to put my powers to use for the Volturi,_ I explained,_ They've tried to get me to join before. This may just be another way to blackmail me into it._

During the silence, Carmen looked back and forth between us, "Are you two...communicating? Does she have your gift?"

"She's gifted," I felt myself compelled to answer, "But we haven't explored the extent of her power. We only know that she's connected to me."

I felt Sophie's inspiration rise as she picked up on Carmen's interest, _Let me hear them._

Opening my mind up like a channel between her and the thoughts of the other vampires, I saw her blink rapidly and shake her head as she tried to sort through all the voices at once, analyze them, and build her own strategy based on what she was hearing. It was a skill that had taken me months to master.

"Let him go," she repeated, more calmly this time, as a plan started to work itself out in her mind, "Edward knows how to be discrete. I was the one who broke your laws, not him, so take me back for judgment while he finishes our hunt. Your boss wants access to Ed's powers? Well, I'm it. I've got the access. If you take him, his family will want him back. It'll cause trouble."

The two guards were actually silent a moment, considering the option.

"How do we know your powers are as good as his?" Carmen finally challenged.

"I see everything he sees and hear everything he hears, which includes your own thoughts," Sophie looked into my eyes and we worked together, picking out the most significant information that flowed between us, "He tells me your boss is Aro and he collects vampires with abilities. He tells me that you are Carmen and you are thinking about bringing me to someone called Chelsea. And you are Demetri, and you're thinking that my gifts wouldn't be all that useful for a guard but you'd like to try to train me anyway, at least for the chance to spar again." With this, she slammed his face back into the sand and leaned her shoulder into the back of his head to pin it there, "So, yeah. If you want to know what Edward hears with his gift, you can take me. He's got better things to do."

_This is risky_, I thought, _What if you lose connection to me after a certain distance? How long will you be able to fake it before they decide you're no longer useful to them?_

_I can find you anywhere, Ed_, she replied and I'd never seen her look so sure of something before, _Nothing is going to break our connection._

Some kind of separation anxiety crept through my chest as I desperately thought through the holes on this plan, _But what about Victoria? I need you. What if they hurt you? I can't just leave you alone at their mercy._

_You'll handle Victoria like you set out to do in the first place, without me_, she could feel my anxiousness and bit her lip, _And I'm no worse off with the Volturi than I would be if these clowns just killed me here. It's the only way that everyone wins._

_Everyone but you._

She smiled half-heartedly, _I was never meant to win. I've been in way over my head since the moment I decided to stand guard over you by the cliffs rather than running away from the supernatural monsters. Maybe the Volturi can keep me under control better, maybe I can even spy on them for you, or maybe they kill me. As long as this deal ends with you back on Victoria's trail._

The others were also thinking over the plan, though I had tuned them out until now as Carmen spoke, "I'm inclined to accept this proposal. We can let Aro decide what to do with the newborn's gifts, and we can always come back for Edward, if he orders it. Demetri, what do you think?"

There was a muffled hum until Sophie lifted his face out of the sand and he chuckled, "Give Cullen another chance. Why not? We'll take this one with us to make sure he stays out of trouble. Go ahead, let him go."

Carmen released me, both from her clutch on my neck and her sway on my mind. I was frustrated and helpless and couldn't decide whether I should attack her or try to reason with them more, but instead I just stayed frozen in place.

"Now get off my partner," Carmen turned her persuasion upon Sophie instead.

My friend blinked and scowled, then shook her head quickly to clear it, "It's harder to control crazy," she smirked, "But nice try. I'll let him go after Ed gets a head start to keep you from catching up easily. I can feel how far he is and you-" she tilted Demetri's head up a bit more, "-you can track him too, so we'll both know when he's gone far enough."

"We won't go after him," her prisoner argued, "As long as you come with us and don't cause any more trouble."

She didn't loosen up, "Yeah, that's the plan. Glad you understood it. But I'm not going to give either of you an inch until he has his head start." _Go now, Ed!_

I took one step back, but even that made me sick, _I don't want to leave you_.

_Don't worry. I should be ok_, she tried to assure me but I knew we were both sharing my nervousness, _I mean, they're not going to kill me, are they?_

I tapped us back into the angry thoughts of the two guards. Carmen was frustrated that her powers were less than effective on this newborn and knew that she stood no chance in a fight without that edge. She was trying to work out ways to boost her control over an unstable mind and had a few tricks that she planned to try out on her victim during the flight home. Demetri was annoyed that he would have to remain uncomfortable for as long as it would take me to get far enough away. His plan was to temporarily disable Sophie with a broken neck or back if she offered any resistance on the way back to Volterra, but neither of the vampires seemed to have any intention of killing her.

_No, probably not_, I finally answered.

_Then get going_, she nodded at me, _I'll keep in touch_.

I hated this. If it weren't for the emotional push from her, I probably wouldn't have willed up the nerve to move at all. But with a wave of urgency and the faces of Bella and my family floating up into my mind, I finally turned and ran as fast as I could through the fog, continuing my way south after Victoria.

**Author's Note: This is the end from Edward's point of view. From here, he continues his actions exactly as they play out in the book. If I ever write more, it would be to wrap things up from Sophie's point of view and explain what happens to her in Volterra that keeps her out of the way. This story is meant to fit in to canon without messing things up too much, and I hoped it could possibly offer more depth to things that do happen later. Thank you so much for reading!

**Author's Recommendation: I've always liked how Stephenie Meyer shared her music playlist from the writing process; so in the spirit of that, I will recommend one song. Every time I listen to it, it always plays out in my mind like a music video for this story. If you're so inclined, check out "Immortalized" by Hidden Citizens & Keeley Bumford.


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